


The Choices We Make

by Jubilee44



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Hate to Love, Parenthood, Pregnancy, life as we know it - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2018-08-29 18:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 21,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8500678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubilee44/pseuds/Jubilee44
Summary: Philip gets a phone call saying his goddaughter's parents were killed in a car accident. Suddenly he becomes a parent with Theo Burr, the godmother who hates him. They have to make it work for the one-year-old fate handed them.





	1. Chapter 1

            Philip’s blaring phone woke him up at one in the morning. He groaned and blindly reached for his cell phone on his nightstand. After a few seconds of groping about he found it and answered the call.

            “Hello?” Philip sat up and rubbed his eyes.

            “Is this Philip Hamilton?” An unfamiliar voice asked.

            “Yeah, who’s this?”

            “This is Doctor Laurens from Mount Sinai Hospital. I understand you’re good friends with David and Haley Kane?”

            “Uh…yeah, are they alright?” Philip sat up and reached for his glasses.

            “Unfortunately they were in a car accident. David passed away at the scene but Miss Kane just passed away.”

            Philip woke up immediately. “What?” He whispered and felt like he was stuck in a bad dream. “Both of them?”

            “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

            “Christ…what about-” Philip thought about his friend’s baby girl. She was a year old and the light of her parents’ eyes.

            “Their daughter acquired some bruises and scratches but she is recovering. That’s why I’m calling you.” The doctor answered.

            “Okay…”

            “The Kanes left their daughter in your care. Their lawyer came in informing us of her guardianship.”

            “What?” Philip looked incredulous. “Me?” He was single, had been for a while and only babysat for his friends every so often.

            “Yes, you and Theodosia Burr, I’m not sure if you know her. I’m aware you both were friends of the Kanes and Aurora’s godparents.”

            “Theodosia?” Philip’s stomach dropped. “Oh no…”

 

            Theo Burr was distraught. Haley was one of her best friends and now she was gone. She dabbed away her tears and tried to gather her composure.

            A nurse came out with David and Haley’s little girl, Aurora. “She’s alright, just be careful of the bruise on her head.” She handed her to Theo.

            The young woman took the infant and held her close. “Hi sweetheart.” She whispered tearfully. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” She hushed softly.

            “Theo?”

            She looked up and her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?” She hadn’t interacted with Philip Hamilton since they were in college together at Columbia University. That’s where they’d both met David and Haley and then were unfortunately acquainted with each other shortly after.

            “The doctor called me.” Philip answered. He was a little stunned to see how much Theo had changed in the few years. She wasn’t the intense studier with untamable hair and large sweaters anymore. She looked even more confident than she had been before, which Philip didn’t think was possible. She stood taller and even in the middle of the night she looked put together. It made Philip feel a little pathetic in his ratty sweats and t-shirt.

            “I’m a little busy, maybe you should come back.” Theo said with a chilly look.

            “Well, you’re sort of holding our little hell raiser.” Philip nodded to Aurora.

            “What?” Theo looked appalled. It slowly dawned on her that David and Haley hadn’t just left Aurora to her. Apparently they wanted to give her a father figure too. And in Theo’s mind they picked a horrible choice.

 

 

            After Theo got over the unfathomable idea of Philip Hamilton being in charge of a child, she realized they needed a plan. “I’ll take her home for the night. I have a crib and some stuff for her from when I babysat. We can talk later about how this is going to work.” Theo mumbled. She was still so upset that her best friends had died and now she had to raise their child with a man she hated. “If you could go to Haley and David’s…maybe you could start getting her things.”

            Philip noticed how upset Theo looked. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” He asked. “Maybe I could stay on the couch?”

            “No.”

            “Look, I’m just trying to help.”

            “I don’t need help,” Theo snapped. She had such distaste for Philip it was eating her up already.

            “Really? You haven’t gotten over…”

            “Just stay out of my way.” She interrupted him. “If you want to help you can go get her things and leave me alone.”

            Philip rolled his eyes. He felt like he had no time to mourn his best friends. He was now a parent with Theo… “Christ.” He muttered and went to go back home.


	2. Chapter 2

            At the funeral, Theo didn’t let go of Aurora. She ignored Philip most of the day and kept her eyes down. After the ceremony, Theo walked down the steps with the little girl in her arms. Her mind was whirring. How could she raise a child? How could she tell Aurora the truth when she was old enough? How could she deal with the loss of her friends?

            “Theo, wait up.” Philip trotted down the steps to catch up with her.

            “I’m not in the mood, please just leave me alone.” Theo kept walking. She just wanted to get to her car so she could openly cry. 

            “We need to talk about Aurora,” Philip reminded her. “It’s been two weeks and you haven’t answered any of my calls. I think it's important that we communicate.”

            “Maybe because I don’t think I should have to deal with you.” Theo stopped and turned to face him. She was fed up because she  _had_ listened to all the voicemails he left her. 

            Aurora smiled when she saw her godfather. She reached out to him and giggled.

            “Hi, princess.” Philip smiled weakly. It was surreal knowing the infant had no idea what was going on around her. She didn’t know she was at her own parent’s funeral. “Listen, someone from Child Protective Services contacted me. They said that since we aren’t together or related to David and Haley it’s not an ideal situation. I’m not saying we have to get married but we should at least make a cohesive plan. That or they’re going to give Aurora to someone else, another family member or foster care.”

            Theo felt an ice cold wave wash over her. “They can’t do that.” She argued. She held onto Aurora tightly as if someone would come up and take the infant away. 

            “They can and they will. They're not concerned about our feelings.”

            “Fine.” Theo looked at Aurora. She would go through hell for the little girl. She promised her friend that. “I guess we’ll have to move in together.”

            “What? No, I didn’t suggest that…do you think that’s a good idea?” Philip looked uncomfortable. "I mean the person I talked to on the phone mentioned it..." 

            “Do you really think I want to go back and forth dropping her off like divorced parents? She needs to grow up in a stable environment.” Theo insisted. “I think we can get along for her sake.”

            Philip nodded slowly. “Yeah alright. I’m willing to do anything.”

            Theo looked suspiciously at him. “What happened to the boy I knew at Columbia?” She asked. "I seriously don't know who you are." 

            Philip put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “He grew up? I’m not saying I won’t make stupid mistakes because I still do sometimes,” He admitted. “But I’m not going to abandon the poor kid. She deserves love and kindness in her life. I don't want to see her put in the system.”

            Aurora started to squirm in Theo’s arms and pushed her shoulders away. She sighed and set the baby down on the pavement in front of the church steps. Aurora pressed down on the ground to lift herself up. She stood shakily and reached out to Philip’s leg to steady herself. She glanced up at him with a proud and toothless grin.

            “Look at you!” Philip smiled back and knelt down to get to her eye level. “You’re getting pretty good at this walking thing, huh?” He held out a hand to help her stand strong. "Have you been practicing a lot? You're going to be running soon aren't you?" 

            Theo watched them interact. She couldn’t help but notice how much Aurora looked like Haley. “I have an extra bedroom in my apartment,” She said quietly. “You can move in there and we can figure out a nursery for her. We can work this out for her.”

            Philip looked up at Theo. “Okay, that sounds good.” He nodded. He picked Aurora up and stood. “You look exhausted, maybe you should go home and get some rest.”

            Theo felt tears sting her eyes. She refused to cry in front of him, though. She didn’t want him thinking she was weak. “Yeah, she could use a nap.” She reached out to take Aurora from him. 

            “Let me know when I can start bring my things over.” Philip waved to Aurora and took his keys out. “Bye.” He turned and started walking to his car. He glanced back once with a sad smile. 

            Theo was mystified. She didn’t know who this man was; he certainly wasn’t the selfish, rude boy she’d known years ago. Something inside of her made her hesitate. She was afraid it was all just an act.


	3. Chapter 3

            Aurora screeched when the doorbell ring. She was sitting on the floor playing with plastic zoo animals. She threw a tiger to get Theo’s attention.

            “I’ve got it, love.” Theo smiled and went to get the door. She had a lot of mixed emotions when it came to Philip Hamilton. And the more they interacted, the more confused she got. He treated Aurora like she was his own daughter. But he was still the snarky guy she knew from college.

            “Hey, this is the last of it. Haley’s aunt took the dining room table so their place is all set. The landlord is ready to rent it out.” Philip explained and held a box out to her.

            Theo swallowed. “Okay, thank you.” She was briefly relieved that the emotionally exhausting task of clearing her friends’ house was over. But she felt empty inside knowing that their existence was partially erased. She took the box from him.

            “How is she doing?” Philip glanced into the apartment and smiled when she saw Aurora chewing on an elephant.

            “Happy as always. She’s been crying more before bed though. I don’t know if she’s aware of Haley and David being gone.” Theo wrapped her arms around herself. “She’s so young but she was so bonded to them.”

            “Yeah, I wish we could get in her head to know what she’s thinking. Then we could do everything to comfort her.”

            “She’ll forget.” Theo said quietly. It was the fear that had been haunting her for days. Aurora would never remember her parents. She would only see them in pictures and home videos.

            “We’ll keep their memory alive.” Philip promised. “But we need to work together.”

            “Yeah I know you keep saying that.”

            “Maybe we can go out to dinner tonight?” Philip offered. “We can talk more.”

            Theo looked a little hesitant at the idea. “Who’s going to watch Aurora?” She asked looking for an excuse.

            “We can bring her with us. She’s perfectly behaved aren’t you, Rory?” Philip smiled. “Isn’t that right, princess?”

            Aurora heard her name and giggled.

            “Alright, let’s go.” Theo sighed and went to get Aurora’s diaper bag.

            Philip walked into the apartment to pick the infant up. “Want to go out? Let’s party!” He teased. Aurora smiled and touched his cheek.

            Theo came out and slipped on a pair of shoes. “Ready?”

 

            The waitress brought a highchair over and Philip got Aurora settled. The young server smiled at the baby. “She’s so cute, she looks so much like you two.” She said.

            Philip and Theo looked at each other in disbelief. “Oh no…” Theo went to correct her but wasn’t given the chance.

            “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

            “Just water for me.” Philip just subtly shrugged to Theo.

            “I’ll have the same.” She sighed and set the menu down as the waitress walked away. “So what did you want to talk about?” Theo asked.

            He folded his hands and set them on the table in front of him. “I want to make this work. I know me moving in will help but we need to get along too.”

            “I can tolerate you fine, Philip.”

            “Well, I guess that’s the problem. I know you still hate me from things that happened a while ago.”

            “I never said I hated you.”

            “You used to.”

            Theo sighed and rubbed her eyes. She felt so tired. “Yeah because you were kind of a jack-” She caught herself from cursing at him. “Look, I’m just trying to get through life one day at a time. Right now I’m trying to get used to being a guardian to a little girl. I’m not focused on becoming your best friend.”

            “I’m not asking for that,” Philip said gently, “I know it’s tough, I honestly never would have pictured this happening.”

            “So what are you asking of me?” Theo ran a hand through her hair.

            “Just give me a chance.”

            Theo looked over at Aurora who was gnawing on a teething ring. “Promise me that you’ll never abandon her. I don’t care if you despise me; call me names, or whatever. But you need to be there for her because we’re the only two people she has to protect her now.”

            “I promise.” Philip nodded. “I would never abandon her.”

            “Okay,” Theo said quietly, “I’ll give you a chance but you only get one.” She warned.

            “Deal.”

            Aurora started to hiccup and dropped the teething ring on the table. She continued to surprise herself as she hiccupped.

            Both Theo and Philip smiled at how cute she was. “C’mere, love.” Theo picked Aurora up and gently patted her back to help her.

            “Have you ever thought about being a mom?” Philip wondered curiously. “You don’t have to answer if it’s personal.”

            “I guess I just never had the time or…person to have a child with.” Theo shrugged. “Have you thought about it?”

            “I mean, I guess I assumed I would start a family eventually,” Philip answered. “Didn’t think it would be this way though.” He smiled slightly.

            “Neither did I.” Theo rubbed Aurora’s back. The baby closed her eyes and she could hear the little girl’s soft breathing near her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

            Philip stayed over for the first night that same week. It was strangely cordial between him and Theo. She asked if he needed any help with a few of his belongings and he made sure he knew the rules of the house. He didn’t want to give her a reason to be upset.

            “Do you need any more blankets or pillows?” Theo asked when she saw him in the hall.

            “Nah, I’m good,” Philip replied. “Is she asleep?” He nodded to the nursery.

            Theo nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her sweater closer to her chest. She wasn’t sure what to say to him. “Do you really think we’re going to be able to pull this off?”

            Philip sighed and shrugged. “To be honest, I have no idea. I guess if we communicate and try to respect each other.” He looked at her and saw how broken she looked.

            “Do you remember their wedding?” Theo whispered.

            “How could I? We fought the whole time.” Philip recalled. Theo, the maid of honor, was not having any of the antics Philip, the best man, was pulling. There was even a picture where Philip was giving her bunny ears and Theo looked as if she was about to murder him.

            “But they didn’t care. They were just happy…I was looking at their album last night. I never knew someone could look at another human with that much love in their eyes.” Theo looked down at the rug.

            “That’s why they were such great parents.” Philip figured. “Remember the day she was born? They couldn’t take their eyes off her.”

            “Why would something so horrible happen to such great people?” Theo couldn’t comprehend how it all worked. She wasn’t sure if she believed in God. Her family stopped going to church when her mother died. Her father was just too sad and angry with God. She didn’t blame him.

            “I don’t know.”

            The hallway grew silent. Theo was deep in her thoughts and Philip was worried about her.

            Theo glanced up and sighed. “I should get to bed,” She said quietly. “I have a busy day tomorrow.”

            “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Philip nodded. “Goodnight, Theo.

            “Goodnight, Philip.”

 

            Aurora woke up at three in the morning to voice her disgruntlement with the blanket over her. She sobbed and wailed to get her mother or father’s attention. The lines were a little blurred and although she had bonded to David and Haley, Aurora was starting to get the sense of protection from Theo.

            Theo startled a little later than she usually did when she heard Aurora fuss. She got untangled from her bed sheets and shuffled as fast as her exhausted body would allow her.

            When she saw a large, shadowy figure in the nursery, she nearly screamed. She flipped on the light and was stunned to see Philip standing there.

            “Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He turned around and smiled slightly. Aurora was fast asleep in his arms.

            “Wh…what?” Theo was confused. She remembered that Philip had moved in but she couldn’t fathom the idea of him getting up in the middle of the night to comfort a child. It didn’t fit his personality one bit. But there he was, rocking Aurora to sleep.

            “How did you get here faster than me?” Theo asked quietly so she wouldn’t wake the infant.

            “Guess I beat you to it.” Philip shrugged. “She’s been crying for a few minutes. I thought you would get her but I didn’t want to assume. I want to help out more.”

            “Oh.” Theo felt like her brain wasn’t processing anything. “Thank you,” She said slowly.

            “Don’t mention it.”

            The two were silent to allow Aurora to drift back into a deep sleep. Theo realized she didn’t feel anger towards Philip. How could she?

            “I need to go back to bed,” She muttered. She wasn’t about to spend the rest of the night contemplating the exact nature of her feelings towards Philip Hamilton. She would much rather sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

            There was something about early Saturday mornings that Theo loved. She thought it maybe had something to do with her childhood. Every Saturday, Theo would wake up her mother just as the sun was rising. They would sit in the covered porch together, drinking out of the nice teacups. Theo would tell her mother about her dreams and Theodosia would smile thoughtfully. She’d dissect her daughter’s dreams. Mostly they came out to say that it just meant Theo would have a long and happy life.

            Theo sat by the window, her feet resting on the windowsill as she watched the sun rise. She held her coffee mug close and thought about her mother. She felt like now that she was in a mourning period again, she would just bring up all the people she’d lost. The longer the list got, the heavier the burden on her shoulders became.

            Philip woke up after hearing the coffee machine in the kitchen start up. He dragged himself out of bed, glancing at the clock and wondering why Theo would be up so early. Aurora hadn’t made a peep. He walked to the den and saw Theo looking outside. He forgot how beautiful she made simplicity look. She had on leggings, an oversized sweater, and wool socks pulled up over her ankles. Her hair was pulled back into a tangled bun and a few pieces went rogue around her forehead and ears. He couldn’t deny that she pulled the early morning look off well.

            Theo noticed him standing by the entrance of the room. “There’s some coffee in the pot still,” She told him. It was too early to be anything but cordial towards him.

            “Thanks.” Philip nodded and went to fix himself a mug. He came back into the den and sat near Theo. “Is there a reason you’re up so early?” He asked curiously.

            “No.” Theo shrugged. “Do I need a reason?”

            “No, just wondering.”

            They were quiet as they drank their coffee. The sun streamed into the room and caught the various reflective surfaces in the room, the picture frame of her parents, her mug, and Philip’s glasses. Philip’s glasses? Theo did a double take. He _was_ wearing glasses. For the life of her she couldn’t remember him wearing glasses before.

            “Did you…have you always worn glasses?” Theo asked out of the blue.

            Philip blinked a few times. “I uh…yeah I wear contacts most of the time,” He answered. “Why?”

            “No, I just never noticed.” Theo held back a laugh.

            He rolled his eyes when he noticed her obvious face. “Alright, go ahead and laugh.”

            Theo couldn’t help it and burst out giggling. “I’m sorry, it’s just… _The_ Philip Hamilton wears glasses. I bet no one in college knew that.”

            “Dave knew, but only because he was my roommate.” Philip sighed. “I don’t look that nerdy.”

            “You look pretty nerdy.” Theo snorted when he made a pouty face at her. “Oh c’mon you made fun of me for months when I got my braces on,” She reminded him.

            “Fine, but don’t tell anyone,” He warned.

            “Mhm, I won’t.”

            Aurora must’ve heard them both and started to whine to get out of her crib. Theo and Philip both stood up, but he beat her to it. “I’ve got her.” He went to the nursery and brought Aurora into the den. “Look, who’s up,” He said softly.

            Theo smiled at her. “Hi, baby girl,” She cooed and reached out her arms to take her.

            Philip sat her down on Theo’s lap and went back to his own chair. She smiled and held the infant close to her chest. Aurora started to drift back to sleep to the tune of Theo’s heartbeat and breathing. The three sat there quietly together watching the sun rise.


	6. Chapter 6

            A few weeks passed by and Philip and Theo were getting along. They were so focused on Aurora that they didn’t have time to argue about anything. They had a solid routine going and neither wanted to step on the other’s toes.

            But then Aurora started to cough. It was a horrible whooping cough that kept the poor girl up the whole night. It caused her guardians great concern. 

            Theo was holding Aurora close as she rocked her to try to soothe her. “What does it say?” She asked, pacing the room slowly in panic. 

            Philip was at his laptop trying to look up different coughs that infants could get. “I’m not sure. Maybe we should just take her into the emergency room. I don't want to wait until the doctor office opens.” He sighed and shut his laptop. He was nervous but didn’t want to show it. He wanted to keep calm for Theo and Aurora’s sake.

            Theo looked at the clock and sighed. It was almost two in the morning. “Alright, I’ll get her bag. Can you go warm up my car?” She asked.

            “Yeah, of course.” Philip creased his eyebrows in worry and went to get the keys near the door. He sat in the car and made sure the backseat heat was on for Aurora. He waited and saw Theo come out with Aurora all bundled up. She buckled her up in the car seat and felt her forehead again.

            “Does she still feel warm?” He asked and pulled out into the street when Theo got in and closed the door.

            “Yeah, we need to get a thermometer for her.” Theo kept glancing in the backseat. "Not now but in the future..." 

            Philip noticed how anxious she looked. “She’ll be alright. I’m sure we’re just overreacting a little bit.”

            “I’m not overreacting,” Theo replied. She reached back to fix the blanket over Aurora’s feet.

 

            Philip hated the headache inducing lights in the hospital. He was sitting next to Theo who was perched on the edge of the hospital bed with Aurora in her arms. She hummed softly to the little girl and rubbed her back. Aurora was miserable, coughing and whining. 

            Theo couldn’t stop thinking about the last time she was in the hospital. She had to come to terms with her best friends being gone. She had to comfort her goddaughter. Now here she was trying to be the best guardian she could be. She felt like she wasn't doing enough, though. How could she let her get a cough? What would Haley think? 

            Philip could tell exactly what Theo was ruminating about. He couldn't ignore the memories either. He stood up with a sigh and sat down next to Theo. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s alright,” He said quietly. "She'll be okay." 

            Theo’s chest tightened up and she started to cry. “I can’t lose her like we lost them.” Maybe it was because she hadn’t slept all night or maybe it was being in the hospital, but Theo broke down. She never thought she would cry in front of him. She didn't want to show him she was weak. 

            “We’re not going to lose her. It’s just a cough.” Philip didn’t blame her, though. He was feeling the same anxiety. He didn’t know if Aurora just had a mild cough or something life threatening, he wasn’t a doctor. He was a new parent and was seriously doubting himself to take care of this little life. 

            The nurse came in and hesitated when she saw the family holding each other close. She cleared her throat quietly to get their attention. 

            Theo looked up and startled a little. “Is she going to be okay?” She asked hurriedly.

            “Of course, Aurora is going to be just fine. We’re going to give you a round of antibiotics for her. It’ll last two weeks and the symptoms should clear up. If they don’t, give us a call, okay?” The nurse gave them a kind smile.

            Theo and Philip sighed in relief. “Thank you,” He said gratefully. “C’mon, you need some rest.” He said to Theo softly. She nodded and stood up. She kissed Aurora’s hair and held her close.

            Philip picked up Aurora’s bag and followed the nurse to sign some discharge paperwork. As he was signing, he glanced over at Theo. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. She looked relieved. 


	7. Chapter 7

            Aurora squealed when Cookie Monster popped up on the television.

            “Oh my God, she’s so freaking cute.” Angie exclaimed.

            “Yeah, stick around tonight and see how cute she is at three in the morning.” Philip chuckled and finished cutting up a few strawberries into bite-sizes. He put them in a plastic cup and walked into the living room where his sister was entertaining Aurora. “Here you can give these to her. You’ll be her best friend.” He handed her the cup.

            “Do you want a snack, Rory?” Angie cooed and handed her a small piece of strawberry.

            Aurora’s face lit up and snatched the berry from her hand. She ignored Sesame Street for her favorite food.

           

            The door unlocked and Theo walked into the apartment with a few bags of groceries. She heard a female laughing and she tensed up. For some odd reason, she felt a strong emotion of fear when she thought of Philip bringing another woman around Aurora. She entered the living room a lot faster than normal.

            Philip turned around on the couch and smiled. “Hey, still cold out?”

            Angie stood up when she heard Theo walk in. “Hi, I’m Angie, Philip’s sister.” She beamed.

            Theo instantly relaxed. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. You two look so much alike.” She commented.

            “We get that a lot.” Philip nodded.

            “Unfortunately.” Angie teased.

            Theo smiled and went to put away the groceries. “It’s not too bad out. Just the wind is freezing.”

            “We’ll take her out for a walk tomorrow then.” Philip decided. “I’m sure she’d much rather walk around than be bundled up in a stroller.”

            “Ma!” Aurora noticed Theo was home and spit out a piece of strawberry to say her first word.

            Theo froze. She looked over at the floor where the baby girl was sitting and staring up at her. The apartment went quiet for a moment, the only noise coming from the TV.

            Aurora glanced up at Philip, and then back at Theo. “Ma.” She said again. “Mamamamamama.” She babbled proudly.

            Theo began to cry. She wasn’t prepared for the moment whatsoever. She wasn’t ready to be called mom yet. She wasn’t ready to accept the fact that Haley was not coming back. But she didn’t want to discourage Aurora from talking either. So she tried to wipe away her tears and went to kneel in front of her. “Did you say mama?”

            “Mama.” Aurora replied as if to confirm.

            “Good job, Rory!” Philip praised even though he was feeling the same striking fear. It would only be a matter of time before she started saying, dada. Or started calling them mom and dad. Or started asking questions about the pictures of her real parents. Philip wasn’t ready to tell her the truth. But he was starting to see how fast time was going and he couldn’t slow it down even if he tried. “Angie, do you mind watching her for a moment? I’m going to help Theo put the food away.”

            “Yeah sure.” Angie looked a little sympathetic but didn’t want to intrude. She held out the cup to Aurora. “Are you going to finish your snack, baby girl?” She tickled her feet. Aurora giggled and turned away from Theo to go back to Angie.

            Theo stood up and Philip followed her into the kitchen. They didn’t say anything for a bit. They just sorted away the groceries in their usual places. The domesticity between them was getting more and more familiar. But the jarring reminder that this was their life was starting to creep in. Theo was terrified Philip would get bored. She was scared he would meet someone that captured his attention more than Aurora did. She was afraid he would go back on his promise to never leave the baby alone.

            “It’s alright.” Philip said softly. He finally gathered up the courage to interrupt her thoughts. It was obvious she was lost in them.

            Theo looked up. “I know it is. I just didn’t expect it.” She tried to explain. “I guess it just caught me off guard.”    

            “Yeah, I get that.” Philip nodded.

            Theo paused in front of the kitchen counter. She picked up a box of animal crackers and bit her lip. “What if we’re not everything she needs? We’re not Haley and David, Philip.”

            “I know we’re not. We could never replace them.” Philip walked over to her so they wouldn’t have to talk so loud. He didn’t want Angie to listen in. “But you said it best, we’re all she has right now. And I know I’m not the perfect candidate to be dad but I’m confident that you’re going to be a great mother to her.” He said gently. “You’re already doing a pretty kick ass job so far,” He pointed out. “You don’t need to keep worrying.”

            “That’s easy for you to say.”

            “No it’s really not, but I’m trying to pretend it is. I’m not sure in anything I do anymore, Theo, but as long as she’s well fed, clean, and happy, then I guess I did something right.” Philip shrugged.

            Theo stared at the box of crackers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so emotional.” She snapped out of her daze and went to put the box away in the pantry.

            “It’s alright, I was pretty close to crying too.” Philip admitted. “Mostly because she didn’t say dada first, but we’ll work on it,” He said to try to cheer her up.

            Theo smiled and shook her head. “You do that.”

            “MAMA!” Aurora screeched from the other room, testing out how loud she could say her new word.

            “You’re being summoned.” Philip grinned. “I’ll finish up in here.”

            Theo hugged him quickly. “Thank you,” She whispered before walking back into the living room. “Who’s calling me?” She cooed.

            Philip felt warm inside. Sure he was a little nervous about the future, but the present seemed to be going just fine.


	8. Chapter 8

            Theo was in the laundry room in the basement of her apartment building. She folded a few of Aurora’s blankets and bibs as the washer ran. The machine was so loud she didn’t hear when Philip walked in with another load of laundry.

            “Sorry to burden you.” He set down the basket.

            Theo startled and dropped a blanket. “Jesus, Philip, you can’t sneak up on me like that.”

            He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I thought you heard me coming down.” He started sorting through the clothes.

            “Who’s watching Aurora?” Theo asked when her heart rate went down.

            “Angie came over. She said she wanted to babysit for a while so I thought I’d get stuff done around the house.

            Theo felt a strange belongingness when he said ‘house’. It wasn’t just her apartment to him anymore. They’d been living together for almost six months.

            “That Joseph guy from work called again.” Philip informed her. “He asked me to ask you if you wanted to get dinner sometime.”

            “Oh…” Theo looked uninterested. “Yeah, I’m not that into him.”

            “So it’s a date thing. Huh, I figured but wasn’t sure.” Philip said casually. “You wouldn’t date him? He seems like an okay guy.”

            “I’m just not interested in him.” Theo shrugged and continued folding things.

            “When was the last time you dated?” Philip asked

            She just shrugged again and rolled her eyes. “I date, I’m just taking a break from it. I sort of have a baby girl to take care of, and so do you.” She tossed one side of a bed sheet to him.

            Philip grabbed the corners and stepped closer to her to help fold it. “Yeah but you can go out if you’d like,” He said, “I don’t mind watching her some nights.

            “I know but…” Theo shook her head and finished folding the sheet. She didn’t want to tell him the awkward feelings she was having lately. She caught herself staring at Philip more often, she found herself blushing whenever he complimented her or made her laugh, and she noticed how many times she got butterflies in her stomach because of him. She hated it. Philip was the bane of her existence at one point. She despised the ground he walked on. It wasn’t fair that he matured into a kind, loving guy. It made her feel so confused and so agitated. It had changed from wanting him to disappear to wanting him to hold her.

            “But…?” Philip rested a hand against the wall.

            Theo suddenly realized how small the room was. “But…I don’t know.” She finished.

            “Something wrong?”

            “No, why?”

            Philip chuckled. “Why’re you getting so defensive? Are you okay?” He reached out and rested the back of his hand on his forehead. “Feeling warm?” He teased.

            Every nerve in Theo’s body electrified when she felt his touch. “I’m fine,” She couldn’t help but giggle and batted his hand away. “It’s like you enjoy making fun of me.” She accused playfully.

            “It’s a profession of mine, yes.” Philip grinned and shrugged. “Are you telling me I’m good at it? What a compliment.”

            Theo rolled her eyes and smacked him with a newly dried dishtowel. “You’re fresh.”

            Philip smirked and grabbed the towel. He tugged it to pull her closer. They were inches away from each other as Theo let him bring her near. They looked at each other and their smiles faded a bit. It was like they knew they were both thinking the same thing. Theo swallowed and glanced down. She still didn’t know what she wanted to make of the strange feelings she had for Philip. But being close to him felt like it made perfect sense.

            Philip gently tilted her chin up so she would meet his eyes again. He studied her face and moved a little closer to see if she would be okay with it. She didn’t move away or ask if he was crazy.

            Instead, Theo closed the gap between them and kissed him. She stood on her tiptoes to reach an arm around his neck. After Philip got over the initial shock of realizing he was kissing Theo Burr, he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt like everything he mocked about love poems was suddenly real. He could feel the tickle of her eyelashes, the warmth of her lips; it was unlike anything Philip had sensed before. No other girl felt like Theo did.

            The two jumped apart when they were interrupted by the blaring beep of the end of a wash cycle. They looked at each other and laughed nervously.

            “That’s why I’m not dating anyone.” Theo told him with a slight shrug. Her face was flushed red and she felt like she had been struck by lightning.

            Philip smiled and ran a hand through his curls. “Alright…well that’s okay with me.” He nodded breathlessly. “Uh…so we’re good?”

            “Yeah, we’re good.”

            “Um…so we can do that again right?”

            Theo giggled and nodded. “Yeah, of course.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I should finish this up.” She nodded to the laundry.

            “Right, I should go check on Angie and Aurora.” Philip nodded. “Uh…alright, cool.” He still felt a little dazed. He touched her cheek and kissed her again softly before leaving.

            Theo had to lean against the dryer, as her knees felt weak. She didn’t know what had happened, or why it did. She still didn’t fully comprehend her emotions because they were so overwhelming. But she decided to just go with it.


	9. Chapter 9

            “I kissed Theo.”

            Angie burst out into laughter. It instantly set Aurora off who started giggling until she erupted into hiccups.

            “Alright, alright, it’s not that funny.” Philip grumbled and picked Aurora up to help her calm down.

            “It’s hilarious, because I totally called it.” Angie replied.

            “You did not.” Philip grimaced and set Aurora back down on the rug. The little girl grabbed a teething ring to gnaw on while the adults talked.

            “I did, I even told mom about it. I said, ‘there is no way those two won’t fall for each other’.”

            “We used to hate each other, even you knew that.” Philip reminded her and sat down on the couch. His head was still reeling from his interaction with Theo. If he hadn’t told Angie he might not have believed it had really happened.

            “Okay, so? Isn’t that how every crappy romance movie starts?” Angie pointed out. She held out a hand to help Aurora stand up.

            “Well I hope this isn’t a crappy romance movie.” Philip rolled his eyes. “Just please don’t say anything. I don’t really know how this is going to play out.”    

            “I won’t.” Angie clucked her tongue. “What are you going to do?” She asked.

            “I don’t know.” Philip held out his arms to Aurora as she toddled over to him. “Hi, princess.” He said softly.

            “Mama,” Aurora bounced up and down and held her arms up.

            “She’s downstairs, she’ll be up soon.” Philip answered and picked her up. “Are you having fun with Auntie Angie?”

            “Awhn.”

            “That’s her name for me.” Angie shrugged. “It’s cute. So when are you going to take her out on a date?”

            “Uh, I don’t know.” Philip looked surprised. “Why?”

            “Because I can babysit when you do.” Angie offered. “And you should.”

            “I don’t know, we’re busy,” Philip grumbled and brushed Aurora’s hair away from her eyes.

            “Excuses…” Angie sang.

            Philip heard the door open and gestured for his sister to shut up. He didn’t want Theo to find out he’d confided in Angie about their kiss.

            Theo walked in and set the laundry basket down in the den. “I have another load in the dryer.” She said.

            “Mama!” Aurora cooed and squirmed in Philip’s arms to get down.

            Philip smiled and set her on her feet. Aurora walked over to Theo to be picked up. “I’ll get it.” He offered.

            Theo glanced over and smiled. “Thanks.” She said softly.

            Angie stood up. “Alright, so I have to go. If you guys ever need me around, just text me.” She said and grabbed her bag. “Bye, love.” She kissed Aurora’s cheek.

            Aurora squealed softly and clapped her hands. “By-by.”

            “Bye, Philip, think about what I said.” Angie said as she left through the door. “Don’t be a chicken.”

            Philip rolled his eyes and stood up to help Theo fold the laundry.

            “What was she talking about?” Theo asked curiously. She set Aurora down. “Don’t be a chicken about what?”

            “Nothing, she’s just teasing me.” Philip said.

            Aurora sat down next to him and picked out a t-shirt from the basket. “Dada.” She said and tried to mimic his folding.

            Philip smiled. “Good job, Rory, thanks for helping.” He said gently.

            Theo watched as they interacted. Aurora would pretend to fold something and hand it to Philip. He would praise her and refold it. She had started to worry about how she would be when she was older. Whether Aurora would resent them for trying to replace her parents. But in a way, Theo started to see that she would be okay. She was smart, happy, and loved nothing more than to be around her and Philip.

            “Look at you!” Philip cooed. “You’re being such a good helper.”

            Theo smiled and walked over to them. She leaned down to kiss Aurora’s cheek and then kissed the top of Philip’s. “I’ll make dinner.” She said as she went to the kitchen.

           


	10. Chapter 10

 

            “Angie, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

            “Well, I’m already here so if you chicken out I’ll be really mad at you.”

            “Mama, dada.”

            “That’s right, mama and dada need a date night.” Angie smiled at her adopted niece.

            Aurora smiled back and grabbed at Philip’s phone. It was her new favorite thing to do, take anything she wasn’t supposed to take. It was like a game to her.

            “Hey, that’s not yours.” Philip scolded and placed the phone in his pocket. Aurora pouted and waddled over to her aunt who spoiled her.

            Theo came out of her room, pulling a sweater on over her shoulders as she walked. “Angie, I put her doctor office’s number on the fridge. I think they close at seven. You have my number too. Don’t hesitate to call me with any questions.” She said. She was nervous leaving Aurora for the first long period of time. Like Philip, she’d tried any excuse to avoid it. But Angie insisted. “Philip, did I forget anything?” She looked up.

            Philip barely heard her. He was struck by how gorgeous she looked. He was used to the Theo who went to work in professional attire or weekend Theo who favored leggings and large sweaters. He thought she was pretty anyways, but he had never seen her dressed up. He had no idea how she made simple look so beautiful. She wore a plain, red, knit dress that grazed her knees. She wore black ballet flats and her hair was up in an intricate braid twisting into a bun.

            “Are you okay?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him when she saw how he was staring. 

            “I think he’s having a hard time processing some things.” Angie teased and made kissy faces at Philip. "Hopefully he'll get over it soon." 

            He snapped back into reality and shook his head. “Shut up, Ange. I’m fine, ready?” He asked and threw on his coat, putting his keys in his pocket.

            “Yeah.” Theo smiled and followed him out the door. “Bye, Rory, love you.” She blew a kiss to the toddler. 

            “Mama!” Aurora realized Theo was leaving and the smile left her face. She scrambled to the hall and grabbed onto her ankle. “No!” She exclaimed her newest word. "No, no, no, no, no!" 

            “Go see Aunt Angie, mom and dad will be home soon,” Theo promised and tried to pry Aurora off her leg. “You need to be good, okay?”

            Aurora burst into tears and started a full on temper tantrum. She screamed at the top of her lungs and kicked her feet violently. "No!" 

            Philip crouched down to try to get Aurora off Theo. “Rory, we’ll be home tonight, it’s okay.” He soothed and eventually got her in his arms so he could pass her off to Angie.

            Aurora grabbed onto Philip’s coat and did her best to stay on. He successfully passed the little girl over to his sister and went back to the door.

            “She’ll calm down soon, go ahead,” Angie promised when she saw how conflicted Theo and Philip looked. “She’ll forget about why she was crying. It’ll make it worse if you stay.”

            Philip nodded and ushered Theo out of the apartment before Aurora could make them stay with another heartbreaking look. “Angie can handle it, she’s great with kids. She helped me and my mom raise our younger siblings.” He assured Theo.

            “I know, she’s great with her. I just…it hurts so much.” She admitted as the walked out onto the sidewalk.

            “I know.” Philip nodded. “It’s really weird how much everything has changed over the last months.” He said.

            “You’re telling me…I’m full-time mom now.” Theo smiled. “And I don’t want to strangle you ever.”

            Philip grinned. “Oh well, that’s fantastic to hear.” He chuckled. “But I get it, I was sort of an idiot in college.”

            “You weren’t an idiot, you were clever just…maybe in the wrong way.” Theo was a little more forgiving now that she had gotten so close to him.

            “Do you think I’m clever in the right way now?” Philip smiled.

            “Sure, if you say so.”

 

            Theo wondered how her life had turned around so much. She was sitting across the table from someone she used to roll her eyes at and curse at under her breath. She was a mother now, had a steady job and had feelings for someone. Deep feelings that she had never felt before. She wondered if she knew how much she was missing with her other flings. She thought she loved them but now she felt totally at peace with the idea that she could explain what caring truly meant. 

            “You know before my mom died she said love was strange,” Theo said out of the blue. The conversation had reached a lull and she decided to get deep with him just to see how he would react. 

            Philip glanced up from his food. “Yeah? Do you believe that?” He wondered. 

            “I’m not sure yet.” Theo rested an elbow on the table and propped her chin up to look at him. “I’m…experimenting.”

            “With me?” Philip raised an eyebrow. He chuckled. "I didn't know that but I'm glad you told me." 

            Theo smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess. My father always said I would marry a nice, respectable, lawyer or doctor. The pinnacle of society. But my mom didn’t agree. She said I would marry an artist.”

            “Did she have a reason?”

            “I don’t know, she didn’t really say. I guess opposites attract.” Theo shrugged. “Did you ever wonder about that?”

            “Who I would marry?” Philip looked thoughtful. “I don’t know I guess just someone I love.”

            “That seems sensible.” Theo moved her elbow and rested her hand over his.

            It was like it was natural to Philip. He turned his hand over to weave his fingers in with hers. Her dark skin matched up perfectly with his tan tone. She adored the small freckles adorning his wrist.

            “Angie sent me a list of preschools near us. I was thinking we could visit some because they can have a wait list.” Philip offered.

            Theo smiled. “That would be nice. It would be good to have one with a daycare even though I think Angie would want to be the sole babysitter.”

            “I know, she is great though. I’m glad we have her. You should meet the rest of my siblings too, they’re pretty great.” Philip

            “Maybe we should have a family get together so everyone can meet Aurora properly.” Theo offered.

            “Oh…you don’t think small doses are okay?” Philip winced a little. “My family can be a little…loud and…outspoken.”

            “Well, our dads already know each other right?” Theo recalled.

            “Yeah, but he knows my professional dad, not my family dad.”

            “Hm, well they’re going to have to meet eventually.” She reminded him. “Might as well get it over with.”

            “Alright…I guess you’re right. Don't blame me if things get out of hand." 


	11. Chapter 11

Alexander and Aaron _did_ know each other, a little too well. Their kids found that out a little too late though.

            “We were thinking about having the family over to formally meet Aurora.” Philip said. Theo was watching Aurora and he was over at the Hamilton’s house.

            “That would be nice.” Eliza said happily. “We would love to do that.”

            “Yeah, Theo and I thought it would be a good idea. She’s inviting her parents too.”

            Alexander dropped his newspaper. “What?” He stared at his eldest.

            “Theo’s parents are coming too.” Philip said slowly. “What’s the problem?”

            “Nothing.” Eliza interrupted her husband. “We’d love to come.” And they left it at that.

 

            “My dad acted really weird when I invited them over.” Philip told Theo. The Burr-Hamilton meet up was only a few minutes away. They had gone down to the park because Theo’s apartment was too tiny to fit all the Hamilton children.

            Theo set Aurora down on the blanket they’d brought. She cooed and steadily got to her feet to walk over to a dandelion.

            “Really?” She looked surprised. “My dad acted strange too.”

            “Huh…” Philip thought to himself for a moment. “Maybe it was just our imagination.” He said. “I was pretty nervous when I asked them.”

            “Maybe.”

            Aurora waddled over to Philip and held out the dandelion to him. She smiled toothily and her eyes were full of excitement.

            He knelt down. “These are super special.” He told her. “You make a wish and blow all the fluff off the stem.” He instructed her.

            Aurora’s eyes widened. “Daddy do.” She said and shoved it out towards him again.

            “What do you want to wish for?” Philip smiled.

            Aurora didn’t full understand so she looked to Theo for help. The young woman laughed softly. “How about a new stuffed animal?”

            Aurora’s eyes widened with excitement at the prospect of a new toy and she nodded.

            “Alright, let’s wish for a new stuffed animal, ready?” Philip held out the dandelion between them.

            Aurora puffed up her cheeks and blew at the dandelion. The small seeds fluttered everywhere and she squealed in happiness. “Yay!”

            Philip and Theo laughed. “Yay!” He clapped with her. “Now hopefully your wish will come true!”

            Theo smiled and knelt down to kiss Aurora’s forehead. “You’re so adorable.” She cooed.

            “Philip!”

            He looked over and smiled when he saw his mom calling out to them. He stood up to greet them. “Hey guys.” He hugged his parents and then went to greet all of his siblings. Angie went straight to pick up Aurora.

            Theo went over to the Hamiltons with a smile. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Hamilton.” She said politely. The two had met after Eliza came over to meet her adopted granddaughter.

            “Please, call me Eliza.” She smiled.

            “Okay, thank you.” Theo was a little nervous. She was technically meeting Philip’s parents as his girlfriend but they didn’t know that yet.

            “Theo, it’s very nice to meet you.” Alexander shook Theo’s hand. “Philip’s told me a lot about you.”

            “It’s nice to meet you too. Philip’s talked a lot about his family.” She smiled at the younger Hamiltons who had gone off to follow Angie and meet Aurora. “I’m so glad you all get to meet Aurora.”

            “It’s about time, but life with three children at home can be a little hectic. Now James and Alex are home for the summer.” Eliza sighed.

            “One child should be enough for us.” Theo chuckled. “She’s a great little girl, already so smart. She and Philip have a great bond.”

            Philip looked a little embarrassed. “You guys do too. She is amazing though.” He agreed.

            “Such a shame about Haley and David, they were great people. I’m sure they would love that you two are taking such good care of her though.” Eliza said in her soft manner. “I’m glad you two worked something out.”

            “Yeah we thought it would be tough at first but we’ve really made something good.” Philip looked over at Theo with a loving smile.

            Alexander was going to say something before he caught sight of his political rival. “Burr.” He said in a terse manner.

            “Alexander, I’m so glad you found the time away from your writing.” Aaron shook his hand. “Hi sweetheart.” He kissed Theo’s cheek.

            “Hi dad, hi mom.” She hugged her parents.

            “Mr. Burr, it’s nice to meet you.” Philip stood up straight and tried to come off as polite as possible. Theo had given him a few tips to make sure Aaron would take to Philip right away. She knew first impressions were everything for her father.

            “Philip, likewise.” Aaron shook his hand too.

            Theodosia smiled to see her daughter’s parenting partner. “Where’s the little one, I’ve been traveling so much I just want to meet her.” She said excitedly.

            Angie walked over with Aurora in her arms. “Grandparents are here!” She cooed.

            Aurora squealed happily at all the new people. “She’s a big fan of meeting people who’ll give her attention. She knows how cute she is.” Theo smiled as her mother took the baby into her arms.

            “Oh she’s so precious.” Theodosia cuddled Aurora close. “Welcome to the family, sweetie.”

           

            Philip started to relax around Theo’s parents. Aaron was going a little easy on him because he didn’t think they were dating at all. The two were being careful to seem as platonic as possible.

            Then, unfortunately, they got on the subject of New York politics. That’s when they realized their fathers were a little more acquainted than previously thought.

            A few minutes into the heated conversation, and the wives already had to try to put an end to the debate. They knew where it would head to if they didn’t step in right away. But there was no stopping them once they started.

            “Burr, you know nothing about that bill, someone needs to go back to Princeton.”

            “Hilarious, Alexander, why don’t you just shut it?”

            “Shut it!” Aurora mimicked.

            Theo sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Thanks, dad.” She grumbled. “She’ll never stop saying that now.”

            “Burr!” Aurora picked up another word from Alexander’s constant mentioning of Aaron.

            Philip snorted a little. “She learns a lot from conversations. That’s why we try to keep her away from arguments.”

            “And usually it works.” Theo grimaced.

            “Yeah except for that time when Philip dropped something on his foot. Thank God she forgot about it.” Angie sighed.

            Aurora giggled and grabbed at her feet. “Burr! Shut it!”

            “I think she’s spending too much time around a Hamilton.” Aaron eyed Philip.

            They young man cleared his throat. “She’s pretty vocal. Theo and I think she’ll be pretty smart. She soaks things up like a sponge.”

            Theo nodded. “She already knows our little schedule and wants to know the name of everything. She loves animals. Philip and I were planning on taking her to the zoo soon.”

            “Oh that will be so fun.” Eliza said. “I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”

            “Shut it!” Aurora got to her feet when she saw a dog walk by. She started to run towards it. Angie and Theo both stood up quickly to chase her down.

            Theodosia walked up to Philip and smiled. “You treat them both so well.” She said in her soft-spoken way.

            “Oh uh, thank you ma’am.” Philip said with a proud look. “Aurora is perfect and Theo is such a great mom.” He said with a nod. “I’m lucky to have her around. I couldn’t imagine raising a kid on my own. Theo makes it so much easier. I don’t know how she manages to do it all, a job, being a mom, taking care of the apartment. I try to do everything I can but she insists.”

            Theodosia laughed. “That’s our daughter. She has a lot of Aaron in her. “I’m glad you two are getting along though. Having parents who love each other is crucial for a child.”

            “Love…oh did Theo tell you?” Philip was sure that they hadn’t told anyone about their relationship. Theo was even worried that Aaron would somehow find out.

            “Oh no, but a mother can always tell.” Theodosia smiled. “Don’t be afraid to show how you feel.” She gave him some advice. “Life is short, and kids grow in the blink of an eye. Make sure you’re honest with yourself and others about your true feelings.”

            Philip went over her words a few times in his head. He glanced over to see Theo holding Aurora, kissing her cheek as the baby girl squealed happily. He wasn’t sure the last time he had felt so happy. “I will.”

 


	12. Chapter 12

            “Mama, can I have?”

            “No, love. You have your sippy cup.” Theo handed her the pink cup with apple juice. She kept her coffee mug far from the toddler. “Ready? Where’s dada?”

            Aurora ran into the living room to find Philip who was already sitting in their usual spot. The two love seats by the bay window that brought the most sunlight in the morning.

            “Hey monkey,” Philip smiled as she rushed out and scrambled up onto the chair to sit next to him. Almost spilling her cup before Philip caught it mid air. 

            Theo handed him his coffee and sat down in the other chair. She kicked up her feet to rest on Philip’s long legs.

            She loved the little tradition they had formed after that one morning. Saturdays meant waking up early and sitting together to watch the sunrise. The TV was off, the phones were in the kitchen, and all of Aurora’s noisy toys were kept in her room. It was peaceful and Theo swore it only helped their family relationship grow. The world moved too fast but during Saturday mornings, they could actually breathe. 

            Aurora cuddled up in the crook of Philip’s arm. She looked up at him with her wide brown eyes. “Dada, I have?” She reached out for his coffee mug as she had with Theo. Philip was more of a pushover than Theo was. When Theo told her no, she went right for Philip with her best puppy eyes. It usually worked too. 

            “No, it’s yucky,” Philip told her. "You wouldn't want it."

            “Not yucky.” Aurora pulled a pout. "I want." 

            “Yes yucky.” He nodded. "You don't want." He corrected. 

            “I think she’s confused about why we don’t let her have it. If we say it’s yucky then we shouldn’t be drinking it in her eyes.” Theo pointed out.

            “That makes sense.” Philip nodded. “She’s very intelligent. She's going to be very logical.”

            Aurora had turned two years just a few months earlier. She was given a huge birthday party. All of David and Haley’s friends were invited, Aurora’s playmates from day care came along with their parents, the Hamilton and Burr family came, and it was nothing but joyful chaos. With kids running around the park and playing the games they'd set up. 

           Aurora was spoiled with presents; the grandparents especially went all out. On top of the toys and clothes they gave her, Eliza baked her a two-tier cake with a Sesame Street theme, Theodosia created a huge quilt that painstakingly formed a beautiful flower pattern in Aurora’s favorite colors, Aaron made a photo album documenting the little girl’s first two years on the planet, and Alexander started writing down Aurora’s life story finishing the first two chapters of her life. He promised he would continue writing it, even from the grave if he had to. But if anyone was going to write her story, it was him.   

           The birthday girl loved the attention but once it hit nap time and she didn’t get to lay down, a tantrum hit. Thankfully it was calmed down before it got out of hand and Aurora passed out in Philip’s arms, sleeping for a few hours.

            It was one of the first events that reminded Theo she was in this for the long haul. She would be there for every birthday, every holiday, every school day…it was daunting. To Philip, he was terrified. It felt so sudden that he was flung into this role as a father. Sure it had been months that he and Theo had Aurora in their care, but it was strange. He was dealing with things he thought were only a possibility and a one that was far in the future.

 

 

            “My parents offered to take Aurora for the weekend.”

            They were both cleaning up the living room on a rainy Sunday. Normally, they would take energetic Aurora out to the park to play, but the streets were practically flooded. So the toddler proceeded to take out all her toys and play every game imaginable. After she conked out for the night, the parents had to clean up the disaster zone.

            “Oh, that’s nice.” Philip nodded.

            “I was thinking maybe we could take a trip,” Theo said. Of course, it had been her mother’s idea. Theodosia insisted that she and Aaron take Aurora so the new couple could have a little alone time. She said it was important to build the relationship beyond taking care of Aurora. She wanted them to bond with each other on their own. 

            But that made Philip nervous at the idea. “Are you sure she’s ready to spend the night?” He asked. “What if she freaks out and we're not nearby?”

            “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Didn’t you visit your grandparents over the weekends when you were younger?”

            “Yeah…” Philip nodded as he wiped finger paints off the coffee table. Deep down he was concerned about leaving Aurora though. He trusted Aaron and Theodosia, but he hadn’t been away from her for more than a day. He also hadn’t been alone with Theo for more than a day. They had their date nights when Angie could babysit, but come nine or ten o’clock and they were back home. Philip was worried that Theo wouldn’t like him if they didn’t have Aurora around. The little girl seemed to be the glue that kept them together and kept them busy. He wasn’t sure if they had enough to talk about or do without Aurora. Their lives revolved around her activities and moods.

            “My friend has a place up in the Hamptons. He and his fiancee are like money masterminds.” Theo chuckled. “They said we could stay there for the weekend if you wanted. It’s beautiful, right on the beach. And the weather should be nice too.”

            Philip was nervous but one glance at her hopeful face and he knew he couldn’t say no. “Sounds fun.” He smiled and nodded.

 

            So they went. Aurora cried and tried to get Philip and Theo to stay. But Theodosia texted them on their way to Long Island and assured them that Aurora was fine and playing princesses with Aaron. Theo and Philip chatted idly during the two-hour drive. It was fine as the things they passed created conversation. When they arrived at the beach house, Theo decided she wanted to shower before going to get dinner. She kissed him quickly before disappearing into the bathroom.      

            Philip went out onto the deck to pace. He wasn’t sure the last time he felt this nervous over a girl before. Would she think he was boring? Would she realize that the only reason they connected was that of their jobs as parents? Would she see that Aurora was the only reason they were together? It didn’t help that on top of that he was worried about Aurora.

            “Philip?”

            He hadn’t noticed how much time had passed while he was ruminating on his concerns. He looked up and all his worries disappeared.

            “Are you alright?”

            Philip could never seem to get over how gorgeous she naturally was. She could wear something simple, like the white pants that accented her long legs and a navy top and still knock Philip off his feet.

            “Did my mom text, are you okay?”

            He shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, just zoned out. You look…amazing.” Philip finally got the words out.

            Theo smiled and reached for his hand. “You ready? My friends told me about a nice place not too far from here. I think it’s a sushi and stir-fry place.”

            Philip nodded and took her hand. “Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was wondering who people picture when they think of Theo. I've always seen Jasmine just because I love her and Anthony together.


	13. Chapter 13

            “Alright, so this line means uh…wait, I know it I just need to think for a minute. ”

            Theo giggled and shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”

            “Hey, I do too know what I’m doing,” Philip argued. “Now, shush, I need to concentrate while I’m reading. You're messing up my flow.” He returned to tracing the lines on her palms. “Alright now, this has to be the love line.”

            “Why’s that?” Theo gave him an amused look as she watched his method. “I thought that was the life line, that's what you said a minute ago, remember?”

            “Nope, love line and I’ll tell you why.” Philip glanced up from her hand. “It’s pretty long, right? So you have a lot of love in your life and we both know that.” He pointed out. “Am I wrong?”

            Theo rested her chin on her free hand. “You’re not wrong.”

            “See, I’m great at this.”

            She watched him as he pretended to know what he was doing as he examined his palm. She didn’t have any of the fears he did. She knew they would get along despite not having Aurora bringing them together. Sure, the little girl was the reason they put aside their quarreling, but their relationship was built more on that. It was built on the trust they had for each other that they would have each other’s backs. It was enough for Theo to say she trusted him because he made a promise to her. Maybe it was a little naïve to think she could just blindly put her faith in Philip, but he hadn’t let her down yet.

            “Alright, maybe I don’t have a career in palm reading,” Philip said and sat back in defeat.

            “Well, thank God you have a job now. I just wouldn't quit it to start up psychic work.”

            “Mmf, yeah, I love working at a publishing office that publishes other people’s writing. It's really fun.” He rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Raises my self-esteem a lot.”

            “Well, you said people who write for them only do it for a hobby right? You want to go to the big leagues in publishing. Has anything been accepted yet?”

            “Actually, someone picked up my piece the other day.” He admitted. He was waiting to tell Theo because he didn’t want the deal to fall through. He knew it would be embarrassing if they didn't publish it.  

            “Really?” Her eyes lit up. “Which one? The one about the storm?” She asked. “I loved that one. Your father couldn’t stop bragging about how good it was. And I don't blame him, it's really something.”

            Philip chuckled and shook his head. It made him proud that she liked his work. “No, it’s something I haven’t really shown anyone.”

            “Oh?” Theo tilted her head to the side. “What’s it about?”

            He looked into her eyes. He didn’t feel nervous about telling her the truth. “It’s a true story about a woman and a little girl who changed a man’s life.” He said honestly.

            Theo looked a little choked up. “And are you that man?”

            Philip smiled. “Yep, and you’re that woman, and Aurora is that little girl. It's all true.”

            “Can I read it?”

            “Of course, even though you already know it by heart.”

 

            “It’s weird realizing we won’t be woken up by Aurora,” Theo said as she settled down in the oversized king bed.

            “It’s a blessing.” Philip agreed as he took out his contacts and put his glasses on.

            “I miss her though.”

            “Me too.”

            “My mom texted me and said she was already out for the night.” Theo pulled the covers up to her waist. “I thought she would put up a fuss but I think she wore herself out by playing all day.”

            “That’s good. I don’t know if I’d be able to sleep knowing she missed us.” He lay down next to her.

            Theo snuggled up beside him. “This bed is huge, why do they need so much space?”

            “Maybe for other activities?” Philip shrugged. “I don’t know your friends and what they do in their spare time.”

            “Other activities? What do you mean?”

            He gave her a look.

            “Oh,” Theo looked up at the ceiling. “Well, we don’t really have a kid to look after tonight.”

            “Right.”

            “And I mean…we’ve been together almost a year.”

            “And we haven’t done other activities…”

            Theo looked over at him. “So…is tonight the night that we do it?”

            “I’ll turn off the light?” Philip slipped off his glasses and leaned over to turn off the lamp.

            Theo giggled and attacked him with kisses.


	14. Chapter 14

            After christening the bedroom, the shower, and the couch, Theo and Philip were exhausted. They finally got to sleep at two and slept through the morning. Theo rarely woke up after eight-thirty. Before, it was because she prided herself in getting up early and starting her day with a run or going to the gym. But now it was because she had a toddler who liked waking up even earlier than she did.

            But now she was on vacation with her boyfriend. So she woke up at noon. The bright sun was filtering in through the blinds and pouring over the bed. The comforter was spilling over the edge of the bed and a few of the pillows had tumbled off as well.

            Theo was sprawled out over Philip. She blinked a few times as she woke up. “Mmf, Philip.” She stretched out her toes. “Pip, is Rory up?”

            Philip startled a little when he heard her wake up. “What?”     

            “Is the baby up?”

            He looked up and was confused when he found they weren’t in their bedroom. “Oh…we’re still on vacation.” He assured her. “She’s with your folks.”

            Theo opened her eyes. “Right…” She looked down and all the memories flooded back from the night before. She smiled warmly and felt her heart beat a little faster. “So last night was…amazing.”

            Philip nodded. “You’re telling me…we should’ve done that a long time ago.” He wrapped his arms around her.

            “Agreed.” Theo nuzzled his neck. “I need to make sure I clean everything up. I’m not sure if they wanted us to have sex around the house.”

            He chuckled and kissed her hair. “Alright, it’ll be our secret then.” He traced his fingers down her arms and hips. He studied every little curve and mark of her skin. He was still in disbelief that he was holding Theo Burr. It was surprised enough that he was parenting with her. But he was dating her…kissing her...and now they had finally shown, physically, that they loved each other.

            “Damn it you’re so gorgeous.” Philip loved her so much it made his heart ache.

            Theo smiled and looked at him. “That was the least poetic thing I’ve heard you say.” She teased.

            “Well, sometimes you can’t beat around the bush. I just have to say it like I see it.” Philip grinned.

            “I love you.” Theo pecked his lips. “I also love coffee.” She got up and reached for Philip’s button down shirt that he wore the night before. She threw it on and did a few of the buttons. She looked in the mirror to put her hair up in a messy bun.

            “I love coffee too, and you, not in that order.” Philip pulled on his boxers and went to wrap his arms around her waist. He mouthed at her neck and collarbone, splaying his fingers out over her hipbones.

            Theo hummed softly and felt her knees go a little weak. “Philip…”

            “Mhm?”

            “You’re insatiable.” Theo grabbed his wrists and spun out of his arms. She tugged him towards the kitchen.

            Philip chuckled and trailed after her with a pout. “Well, we did it for the first time last night. And you’re beautiful…so yeah I might be.”

            She giggled and went to start up the coffee machine. “Don’t worry, last night wasn’t the last time.”

            “That was my follow up question.”

            “And that’s my answer. I mean we’re dating so, I would imagine we’d sleep together more than once.”

            “Technically we did sleep together more than once already,” Philip said cheekily.

            Theo rolled her eyes and went to kiss his temple. “I love you."

 

 

            Fall was starting to fade out and winter was moving into the city. Aurora continued to grow, as did Theo and Philip’s relationship. So while it was getting colder outside, they kept a warm, loving home.

            “She’s getting a little cold I think. Her nose is running a bit and she’s cranky. She can rest and watch movies. I pulled out _Moana;_ she said she wanted to watch it when she woke up from her nap. Call me or Philip if her cough gets any worse.” Theo said to Angie, as she was getting ready to leave for work.      

            The eldest Hamilton girl nodded. “Of course.”

            Philip handed Theo her lunch and kissed her cheek. “Have a good day.” He murmured.

            “You too.” Theo smiled. “I’ll see you when I get home, thanks again, Ang.” She said and left the apartment.

            Philip went to follow her but his sister stopped him at the door.

            “So she’s wearing a lot of sweaters huh?” Angie asked.

            He gave her a confused look. “Uh, it’s cold out.” He nodded. “So, yeah I guess she is.”

            Angie raised an eyebrow. “Well, you see her when she’s not wearing sweaters…”

            “Um, sorry?”

            “You know what I mean. Is she…” Angie mimicked a pregnant stomach.

            Philip’s face paled a little. “What? No, of course not.” He shook his head. “She’s not…why would you say that?”

            Angie just smirked and shrugged. “Just a hunch. I’ll see you later, Pip.” She hurried him out the door. “Stay warm!”

            Philip felt like he’d been hit by a bus. Was she pregnant? Did they use protection in the Hamptons? Would she want to have a child with him? They already had Aurora but they never discussed biological children. They never even discussed where their relationship was going. Would they get married?

            Philip could never see himself apart from Theo. It just made sense that they would stay together. They would raise Aurora together, simple as that. But among that he wondered if she wanted to marry him or maybe have another kid or two. In his head, seeing Theo pregnant made him strangely excited. Maybe it was because he knew she was a great mother or that it would just be another sign that they loved each other. He found it a little funny that just a hint from his sister could make him so thrilled to find out if his girlfriend was pregnant or not. 


	15. Chapter 15

 

            Philip was waiting for Theo when she got home from work. “Hey, how was your day?”

            “Good, a little busy but it made time fly by.” Theo put her purse and keys down.

            He took her coat for her and immediately looked down at her stomach. What Angie had said kept him thinking the whole day. He couldn’t focus on work. He was going crazy wondering if Theo was pregnant or his sister was just grasping at straws. Of course she would want a baby niece or nephew along with Aurora. But he couldn’t shoot down her claims either.

            “That’s good.”

            “Mama!” Aurora ran into the hallway to hug Theo’s leg. “Look what Auntie Ang and I make!” She held up her wrist to show her a bracelet with plastic beads spelling out her name on an elastic band.

            Theo bent down and gasped. “That’s beautiful, Rory!” She exclaimed. “Did you make that on your own?”

            “That’s not the only one she made. I think she and Angie were fixing to start up a jewelry store while we were gone.” Philip nodded to the kitchen where dozens of more beads and bracelets were.

            “Well don’t we have a little entrepreneur on our hands.” Theo cooed and kissed Aurora’s forehead. “You can show them to me after dinner.”

            “I made your favorite.” Philip said.

            Theo smiled and inhaled. “Smells amazing.” She sighed and then tensed up. “Oh no…” She made a face and rushed to the bathroom.

            “Theo?” Philip went after her in alarm when he heard her get sick. He reached to pull her hair back. “Whoa…I’m not that bad of a cook, am I?” He tried to be a little humorous. But he wasn’t dumb. He knew sensitivity to smells was a symptom of a being pregnant.

            Theo groaned. “No, that’s not it.”

            “You’re pregnant then?”

            She cursed under her breath. “How’d you find out?” She had made sure to discard all the positive tests at her work.

            “Angie caught on.” Phillip rubbed her back gently as she dry heaved.

            “And?” Her stomach settled and she went to rinse out her mouth.

            “And?”

            “Well…I mean you just found out that you’re going to be a father.” Theo looked over at him.

            “Yeah, it’s kind of not sinking in yet.” Philip admitted. “I mean being a father to Aurora is one thing but…” He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “I’ve only known for like two weeks.”

            “That’s two weeks of not telling me.”

            Theo sighed and threw her hands up. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted another child. I mean…we haven’t even really talked about our relationship in the future. We’re too busy with a two-year-old. Which is my next point. If I’m pregnant than we’ll have a three-year-old and a newborn. Can we handle that?”

            “Well, lots of people do that, right? I mean some couples even space kids out two years apart.” Philip shrugged.

            Theo knew he was still processing it but she wanted to shake him. “Philip, you’ll be a father.”

            “I’m already a father.”

            “Okay but we’re having a baby together.” Theo said with a frustrated noise. “Doesn’t that scare you?”

            “Does it scare _you?_ ”

            “If we’re being honest, yes.” Theo crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re not even married, we’re still figuring out things with Aurora, and we can’t fit another child in this apartment.”

            “Do you not want children with me?” Philip wasn’t sure what to make of her excuses. “I mean I thought we were doing well with Aurora and each other…”

            “We are. I do, Philip, make no mistake I love you.” Theo said firmly. “When I think of a future, you’re right there next to me.”

            “Okay, then I don’t see a problem.”

            Theo sat on the edge of the tub with her head in her hands. “I just don’t feel ready. I know it sounds stupid, we already have a little girl but…I don’t feel ready.”

            Philip sighed softly and went to sit next to her. He wrapped an arm around her tightly. “Hey, it’s alright. Sometimes I still feel like I’m not ready to be a father to Aurora. But we’re doing it. We’re taking each day with stride. We keep a roof over her head when she wakes up every morning, we feed her, we make her laugh, she plays, she learns, and you read to her every night before she goes to bed. As far as parenting is concerned, we’ve covered the basics. Now we might run into a few bumps in the road, probably when she hits her teenage years, but that’s a decade from now. We have so much time to work on it. We won’t be perfect but no one is. And I know, better than anyone, that you have so much love. I’m lucky that I’m someone who gets to receive some of it. And if there’s another child on the way for us then you have more than enough love to spare for him or her.”

            Theo sniffled softly, leaving tears on the sleeve of his shirt. “You used to be such an idiot in college. I don’t understand.”

            Philip laughed and kissed her temple. “Well, a few days with you and any guy would man up for you.” He said. “You’ve helped make me what I am today.”

            “Okay.” Theo wiped her tears and swallowed. “Okay…”

            “I love you.” Philip murmured. “But you might want to tell Angie that you just found out you were pregnant. She probably won’t forgive you if you went weeks without telling her.”

            “Noted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found the best person for Angie. Her name is Aiyana Lewis and she is exactly how I picture Angie. I'm so glad I found her for my little casting list. It helps to have faces to picture when I'm writing.


	16. Chapter 16

 

            “Do you remember when David told you Haley was pregnant?” Theo helped a very tired Aurora out of the bathtub. Normally baths were an energetic affair for the toddler. She would protest about taking a bath at first, then when she was convinced, she would dump every toy she was allowed to take in the water, play for a good hour, whine when Theo said it was time to get out, throw a fit, then run around the bathroom and sometimes the rest of the apartment if she wasn’t caught in time. Philip was used to coming home to the crazy toddler running around the house naked as the day she was born, while Theo chased her with a towel. She was a madman when it came to baths.

            But after a particularly exciting day at daycare, a firefighter coming and talking about fire safety to the youngsters, Aurora was wiped out. She was nonstop for most of the day and went on through dinner, talking and talking about how she wanted to put out fires when she got older. She requested a toy fire truck and to be brought immediately to the playground so she could slide down the pole like the firefighters did.

            It was more ambition Philip had seen in a child her age. But he wasn’t about to ruin her dreams. So he promised the truck and a trip to the playground that weekend. It seemed to satisfy her and she was didn’t argue or complain about the bath when Theo brought it up.

            “Uh…yeah, I think so.” Philip nodded.

            Theo wrapped Aurora up in the fluffy towel and picked her up. The toddler’s eyes slid close and she started to doze off against Theo’s shoulder. “I was just thinking about when Haley told me.” She said quietly.

            They both walked to Aurora’s room and Philip grabbed a pair of pajamas for Theo to dress her in. “Any reason why?” He knew it was probably good for Theo to talk things through when she brought up their late friends. He never wanted her to have to cope on her own. He knew that wasn’t fair.

            “I just was thinking about all the things she wanted for Aurora,” Theo answered as she gently dried Aurora’s curls with the towel before going about getting her dressed. “She wanted a girl, I remember that. She said she would love a boy all the same but she hoped for a little girl. She had the name Aurora planned out for years before. She had been so prepared and didn’t seem nervous at all. I think I was more nervous than either of them was. I had no idea how to care for a child and suddenly I was going to basically be an aunt. I was terrified they would ask me to babysit.” Theo got Aurora dressed and scooped her up again to get her settled in bed. “But Haley had so much confidence in me. She said I would be perfect at babysitting and I’d find a guy soon. I’d get settled down and soon I’d have a child of my own. I laughed at her. I never saw myself in this position.”

            “And now?” Philip went to the other side of Aurora’s little princess bed.

            “Now…” Theo looked at the sleeping toddler and then at her stomach. “Now I realize she was right. I just wish I could tell her that she was. She’d be the happiest for us.”

            Philip nodded. “Yeah…she would.” He agreed.

            Theo sighed and knelt down to kiss Aurora’s forehead. “Goodnight.” She whispered and went to turn on the nightlight.

            Philip looked down at Aurora. She wouldn’t stop growing. Her hair grew longer and darker, she got taller every day it seemed, she kept adding words to her vocabulary, and she remembered more days. He kissed her cheek. He hoped she would wake up the next day and remain exactly the same.

            He didn’t know how strange it was. He wanted Aurora to stay little yet he wanted to meet his child Theo was carrying as soon as possible. He just wanted to shield them and Theo from everything bad in the world. But he couldn’t.

            He turned around and flicked off the light in Aurora’s room. He went into his room and got settled with Theo. She curled up into the crook of his left arm like every night. He kissed her forehead like every night and rested his hand on her stomach. “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little chapter. I'm at college now and starting classes so I'm still adjusting. But updates should be somewhat often.


	17. Chapter 17

            “Rory, it’s time to get up.” Theo gently woke up the little girl.

            Aurora yawned and sat up. She blinked a few times. “Mommy, is the baby here?” She asked like she did every morning.

            “Not yet, sweetie.” She smiled and helped Aurora up. She got her dressed for daycare and out into the kitchen for breakfast. It was a typical routine that Theo, Aurora, and Philip all got used to.

            “Good morning, Rory.” Philip smiled when his daughter came up and hugged his legs. “Do you want some toast?” He asked and started to open the bag of bread because he already knew the answer.

            “With jelly!” She let go of his legs.

            Theo sat down and held her arms out to her daughter. “Hi, baby.” She smiled warmly.

            She touched Theo’s stomach, still fascinated by the baby bump. It took a while for the couple to figure out how they were going to explain the baby to Aurora. After consulting various baby websites, books, and Eliza who had more experience with explaining pregnancies to her older children, they thought they were ready. But of course, Aurora’s middle name was ‘why’ or sometimes ‘how’.

            Theo and Philip were both late to work the morning they decided to explain it.

            “Did mommy eat the baby?”

            “No, mommy’s keeping the baby safe in her belly until they’re ready to come out and meet you.”

            “Will I have a toast baby?”

            “No, that’s just food. But the food I eat goes to the baby.”

            “When will the baby come?”

            “In a few months, then you can meet him or her.”

            “How?”

            “A doctor will take the baby out.”

            “How?”

            “It’s special doctor stuff.”

            “Is it a girl baby or a boy baby?”

            “We don’t know yet?”

            “Why?”

            “Because the doctor hasn’t told us yet.”

            “Did I come out of mommy’s tummy?”

            “Yep.”

            They weren’t going to address the adoption thing and the baby thing in the same sitting. One day at a time.

            Theo brushed her fingers through Aurora’s curls as the toddler listened to her stomach. “Hear anything?” She asked with a small smile.

            “Not yet.” Aurora shook her head. “Hi baby, I’m your…” She looked to Philip for the new word.

            “Sis…” Philip prompted as he scraped grape jelly over the piece of toast.

            “Sister!” Aurora bounced eagerly as she remembered the word. She was very bright and insisted on learning everywhere she turned. The baby was extremely interesting to her and she tried to get more and more information out of her parents.

            Philip smiled and set her toast down. “Very good, alright, you gotta eat now.” He said and pulled out the chair for her.  

            Philip sat down next to Theo after giving her breakfast as well. She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

            “Thank you.” She said and took his hand under the table.

           

            “To David and Haley. We’ll never forget them.”

            “Cheers.”

            Theo and Philip were out with a group of their old college friends who all knew David and Haley as well. It had been a few years since they’d all been together, aside from the funeral.

            “Oh, she looks so much like Haley.” Frances sighed as she looked at pictures of Aurora. “So beautiful.” She put a hand to her heart.

            “You two are saints for taking them,” Marie said.

            “I think anyone of you guys would’ve done the same.” Philip shrugged. “The alternative wasn’t really an option for us.”           

            “Honestly I was just surprised that you two ended hooking up,” Georges said brazenly.

            Marie elbowed her brother. “Shut up, dummy. That’s not what this is about, they have a right to do whatever they want.”

            “Oh okay, I’m the only one who didn’t watch them piss each other off for years?”

            Philip and Theo smiled and glanced at each other.

            “I think it’s like a rom-com,” Martha said with a sigh. “If only _someone_ can take a hint.” She glared at her fiancée, Tom.

            “What?” Tom looked oblivious.

            Martha looked over at Theo. “See what I mean?”

            “Well, you sort of have to cooperate when you have a kid.” Philip shrugged. “I guess we never realized how well we could get along if we tried.”

            “Doesn’t mean you get together and decide to have another kid.” Georges rolled his eyes. “My wingman truly is gone.” He pretended to wipe away a tear.

            “It’s called growing up, you might want to try it sometime,” Frances said. “I think it’s beautiful.”

            “Because you’re a girl,” Tom argued. “Women always think everything is romantic. I mean Marty and I met at a gas station when I asked her for her number because I thought she was attractive.”       

            Martha rolled her eyes. “It _was_ romantic. It was raining out and you came and told me you thought I was so beautiful and you would kick yourself later if you didn’t ask for my number.”

            “You think that’s romantic?” Tom winced. “I thought I was being of creepy, but whatever.”

            “Anyways, did you find out if it’s a girl or a boy yet?” Frances asked.

            “Not yet. I keep wanting to, but whenever she asks if I want to know, I say no.” Theo admitted. “I get too nervous.”

            “Well, when you’re ready.”

            “Then you can decide whether you’re naming it Georges or Georgina,” Georges said confidently.

            “In your dreams, Laf.”

 

 

            Late one night, Philip was up writing. It usually didn’t bother Theo as she slept. But that night she woke up with a startle and a choked out a scream.

            Philip nearly had a heart attack. “What? What? Theo?” He dropped his notebook and went to grab her hands in the frenzy.

            Theo gasped out a few breaths as she tried to orient herself. “T-the…” She looked around and her eyes settled on Philip. The sight of him seemed to relax her. “It was a nightmare…” She said more to herself than to him.

            “Oh…” Philip breathed out. “You scared me.” He pulled her close. “Are you okay?”

            “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine.” Theo moved closer to him. She was still shaking slightly as she recalled the dream. “I thought I lost the baby.”

            Philip gently rubbed her arm. “It was just a nightmare, it’s okay.” He soothed. “I’ve got you.”

            Theo felt safe enough to cry. Her soft whimpers were muffled slightly as his t-shirt caught her tears. It broke Philip’s heart but the only thing he could do was hold her and say everything was okay.


	18. Chapter 18

            David and Haley were buried in New York like they wanted. It was a huge benefit for everyone that they had planned their wills out despite being so young. It left no questions or debates. Originally, Haley was from California. Her parents were both big movie executives who raised their daughter in luxury. She was their only child and they doted on her even as she grew into an adult.

            David grew up with four brothers in Iowa and a single mother. He never met his father and he never wanted to find him. He would never forgive him for leaving his mother. His mother worked three jobs and David starting working as soon as he could to help out. He wanted to stay to help his mother after high school but she insisted he go to college. His mother worked and saved, just so he could go on and succeed in his life. David got a scholarship to Colombia and that’s where he met Haley.

            They hit it off right away. It didn’t matter where they came from; it only mattered where they were going. And they were going there together. They got married their senior year of medical school. They were both working to be pediatricians and adored kids. But they waited to have Aurora until after they got into their second year of residency. They were so close to getting their license and getting into a practice. But the crash happened mere months before they could.

            Mr. and Mrs. McDonald and Mrs. Kane came to the funeral. But due to their distance, they had a hard time getting out to visit their grandchild. Finally, a month or two before Theo was due, the grandparents could all come out to see them.

            Ruth and Harry McDonald got to the apartment first.

            “Oh, Theo!” Ruth started to get teary eyed the second she saw her daughter’s best friend. “You’re glowing!” She pulled the pregnant woman into her arms. “You’re still so beautiful.”

            Theo couldn’t help but start to cry too. She couldn’t blame it just on hormones though. She hadn’t seen Haley and David’s parents since the funeral and before that, it was the wedding. She remembered all the time Ruth would come to New York and take Haley and her out for a day of shopping and eating at fancy restaurants. Harry would always send his daughter big care packages that she so selflessly shared with their dorm floor. Now Haley was gone and the only remnant of her left was her memory and Aurora.

            “Mama…” The toddler waddled out into the hallway and paused when she saw the older couple at the door that she didn’t recognize. Ruth and Harry always sent presents for their grandchild but she wouldn’t have any memory of them.

            Harry knelt down and held his arms out. “Hey there munchkin, look how big you’ve gotten!”

            Aurora looked a little wary and glanced up at Theo. Philip came out and put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s your Grammy and Grampy!” He said.

            To clear up any confusion for the little girl, they tried to have different names for all of her grandparents. It caused a little grief because Alexander and Aaron could not agree on who would be called Papa. Eventually, Alexander won. He and Eliza were Nana and Papa while Theodosia and Aaron were grandma and grandpa.

            “Why don’t you go say hi?” Philip coaxed gently.

            Aurora walked over to Harry and smiled. “Hi.” She said shyly.

            Ruth got more choked up. “Oh, she looks so much like Haley.” She cried softly. “Harry, doesn’t she look like Haley? Her eyes and oh those precious curls...”

            Harry picked their granddaughter up and smiled sadly. “She sure does. Rory, say hi to Grammy.”

            Aurora waved and giggled. “Grammy.” She realized she adored the new people in her life just like she adored her other grandparents.

 

            David’s mother, Anna, came a little later and was delighted to see everyone. Although she had her other sons, it didn’t take away the pain of losing her eldest child. Seeing people who were so connected to David eased some of the hurt.

            “She must be so excited to be an older sister,” Anna said as she watched Aurora playing in the den with the toys her grandparents had brought her.

            Philip nodded. “Very excited.” He said. “She’s hoping we’ll name the baby after Elmo but we had to negotiate a little.”

            Theo smiled and shook her head. “She’s very imaginative.”

            “David was the same. I was pregnant with Ian when Dave was around Aurora’s age now. He always asked when the baby would get here and if he would like playing blocks. I remember when Ian was born; David didn’t want to miss a second of his life. He was such a good older brother.” Anna sighed. “He would be so happy to see how well you’re taking care of her. He wanted the best for her.”

            Theo rested a hand on Anna’s. She couldn’t imagine losing a child either Aurora or her unborn baby. She wasn’t sure how they lived with the amount of grief. There were some days when she got so sad thinking about Haley and David. She couldn’t fathom the idea of losing a piece of herself like a child.

            “Dada!” Aurora interrupted Theo’s thoughts. “Dada come play!”

            Philip smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m needed for something very important.” He pecked Theo’s cheek and stood up to go into the den. “Alright, Rory, I’m coming to play!”

            Anna smiled. “He’s so good with her. I can see why you two ended up together. Any man who can be such a great father is bound to be good husband material too.”

            Theo laughed softly. “Philip is a good man.” She agreed. “We haven’t talked about marriage yet, I think we’re just taking it a day at a time. But I’m so happy to have him. I could never raise her without him. He’s helped me through so much.”

            “You know David talked about you two,” Anna told her. “It must have been around their engagement. He was so in love with Haley I’m sure he just wanted to see you two as happy as he was. Whenever we talked on the phone he mentioned how much he and Haley wanted you two to be together. ‘They just need that last nudge, ma’.” Anna laughed gently. “I wish he could see how right they were. You two were meant to be together.”

            Theo nodded. “I wish they could see us now too. In a way, I guess they were always going to bring us together. I just wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

            “It hasn’t been very long but I’m starting to come to terms with it. I think it’s because I know you and Philip are doing so well with Aurora. She very well could have passed away from the crash too. But she survived. God gave her another chance to be loved and cared for. It’s such a blessing and although I would do anything to bring my son back, it helps to know my granddaughter is going to be perfectly fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like angst? I like angst


	19. Chapter 19

            Aurora was over the Hamilton’s for the night so Theo and Philip could have some alone time. It was a God sent for the two who had been nonstop for the last few weeks of Theo’s pregnancy. And now they were getting ready for even more beautiful chaos in their life.

            The nursery was set up, they had all the little onesies, bought all the little things they needed for a newborn, and the birth was scheduled. Theo was already past her due date; the baby seemed to be taking their time. So her doctor scheduled a date that week to induce labor.

            Philip held Theo close as they watched the movie. He wasn’t even nervous for the delivery. He was too excited to be. He wanted to hold his new son or daughter so badly. He had no experience with newborns but he was eager to learn.

            Theo stretched her toes and yawned. “My feet are so fat.” She grumbled unhappily.

            “They’re cute, what're you talking about?”

            She looked up at him and gave him a look. “Don’t even lie to me, Hamilton.”

            “I’m not lying.” Philip smiled and rubbed her stomach gently. He could never get enough of feeling the baby kick. It was like a tiny miracle every time it happened.

            “You so are. Swollen feet are not cute.” Theo stretched her arms and reached back to tug playfully on Philip’s curls.

            Philip grinned and kissed her temple as she pulled him closer. “Every part of you is cute including your feet.”

            “You’re adorable.” Theo giggled and slipped out of his arms to stand up. “Want another drink?” She asked and picked up their empty glasses.

            Philip looked confused as she stood. The back of her light colored sweatpants was drenched. “Did you sit in something wet?” He asked curiously and patted the couch to see if there was a stain.

            “No…I don’t think so?” Theo tried to twist around to see what he was talking about. She felt the wet stain and paused. “Uh…I think my water just broke.”

            Philip shot up from the couch. “The baby’s coming?”

            “Maybe…I don’t know.” Theo was too stunned to think. “Uh…go grab the hospital bag, I’m going to call my doctor. Text our parents too. Maybe Angie can watch Aurora.” They had already planned out everything for the delivery date but suddenly she felt like they were prepared.

            “Alright, sit down.” Philip helped her sit. “I’ll grab you a change of pants too.” He added and headed to their room. “And make sure to breathe!” He added.

            “Breathe…right.” Theo rested her hands on her stomach and tried to breathe but inhales she took became shallower. She noticed the room was starting to spin and she was seeing spots. She got more light headed and eventually passed out on the couch.

 

            After one-and-a-half fainting spells, Philip almost keeled over during the delivery but was fortunately caught by a nurse, the baby was born. Amelia Kane Hamilton opened her eyes to see two parents who already adored her.

            After a few hours with the newborn, Philip and Theo knew the picture wasn’t complete without their other little one. Angie brought Aurora to the hospital room but stayed outside with the grandparents for the time being. She wanted to let the family have their moment before they were bombarded by the extended family.        

            Aurora walked in cautiously, looking around at the unfamiliar space of the hospital room. Philip stood up and smiled when he saw his eldest daughter come in.

            “Hey, Rory Bear. C’mon in and meet your sister.” Philip scooped her up and walked over to the bed.

            Theo smiled and tilted Amelia so Aurora could see her better. “This is Amelia.” She said softly. "She was so excited to meet her big sister." 

            Aurora’s mouth opened slightly as she looked at her baby sister in awe. She didn’t speak for a moment, too overwhelmed with the experience. Then she looked up at Philip. “Can I hold her like Elmo?” She asked.

            Theo and Philip had gotten Aurora a baby doll to get her used to being with the newborn. She had so lovingly named her Elmo and carried her everywhere. It assured the parents that she would be calm and gentle with the baby. 

            “Here.” Theo set Amelia in her bassinette by the bed and reached for Aurora.

            “Are you sure?” Philip asked knowing Theo must be sore from the delivery. He didn't want her to overexert herself in any way. 

            She nodded. “I want to hold both of my babies.” She insisted and wiggled her fingers to get him to set Aurora down. 

            “Alright.” Philip set Aurora on Theo’s lap and picked up Amelia. “Hold your arms out. Remember to be gentle.” He said softly and put Amelia in her arms.

            Theo supported the baby under Aurora’s arms. But as far as the toddler was concerned, she was holding her baby sister for the first time.

            “Hi ‘Mela.” She whispered.

            Amelia yawned and stretched her hands a bit within the swaddle. This fascinated Aurora who beamed and looked up at Philip.

            “You’re doing great, she loves you already.” Philip assured her and sat down next to the hospital bed.

            “I love you too,” Aurora said sweetly and leaned down to kiss Amelia’s forehead.

            Theo was overwhelmed by the whole experience and couldn’t help but let some tears slip down her cheeks. She never imagined herself holding her two daughters. She wished her best friend could be there to see. 

            Philip adjusted Amelia’s blankets so Aurora could see how tiny her toes were. “Look how itty bitty her toenails are! You were once that small, believe it or not.” He pointed out.

            Aurora giggled at the sight. “Can we paint them like Auntie Ang paints mine?” She asked hopefully.

            “Maybe when she’s older. We’re going to have to wait to do a lot of things with her, but you’ll get to help take care of her. Are you going to be mom and dad’s little helper?”

            Aurora smiled proudly and nodded. “Yes!”

            “What about changing smelly diapers?” Theo teased and left a raspberry on Aurora’s cheek.

            “Daddy can do that.” She decided.

            “Great.” Philip groaned playfully but then smiled at Theo. “I guess I have to do my part.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. He was so happy in that moment; he couldn’t stop thinking how much he wanted to make Theo his wife.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter because it's been a while since I've updated this. But I finished my October Philidosia challenge and now I'm moving onto NaNoWriMo. Hopefully, I'll be able to divvy up my time between fanfiction and my novel for November

            Amelia had been home for two weeks and the young family was busy trying to get settled. She was a quiet baby, for the most part, didn’t fuss much, and was easy to calm down if she ever did start to cry.

            It was Aurora who was starting to get a little more difficult to deal with. At first, she liked being an older sister, until she saw how much attention the newborn got. She began to get jealous and did everything she could to get Philip and Theo to pay attention to her instead.

            One particular morning, Amelia had just woken up and was crying, while Aurora was having a temper tantrum on the floor of the kitchen. Philip and Theo decided to divide and conquer, he went to the nursery while Theo attempted to get Aurora to stop kicking everything in sight.

            “I don’t wanna go to daycare!” Aurora screamed for the fifth time. She thrashed around on the floor, her heels banging into the cabinets.

            “Sweetheart, you have to go.” Theo sighed and knelt down to take her hands. “Daddy and mommy have to take Lia to the doctor and you can’t come.” She explained yet again.

            But the toddler wasn’t hearing it. She continued to scream and lash out.

            “Aurora…”

            “No!”

            Theo was starting to get frustrated. She hardly ever got upset at Aurora. Apart from a stern scold every so often, they normally didn’t have to discipline her. But they had to take Amelia for her checkup and there was no way she was taking along their three-year-old.

           “Aurora Hamilton, stop acting like a baby,” Theo said firmly and tried to get her to sit up. “You’re going to daycare like you do every day.”

            “Amelia doesn’t hafta go!”

            “Amelia’s too little and she needs to go to the doctor.” Theo reiterated with a sigh.

            “I need to go to the doctor too!” Aurora cried and decided to try another tactic. She clung to Theo and started to wail. “I’m sick!”

            “No you’re not, you’re perfectly healthy.” Theo picked her up and tried to get her to put her shoes on.

            “No!” Aurora flopped around in her arms like a limp fish.

            Philip walked out with Amelia who had calmed down and was asleep in his arms. “Any luck?” He asked. He was glad he got the easier job that morning.

            Theo grimaced and shook her head. “Auntie Angie is going to be here any minute to take you to daycare, are you going to be a baby for her too?”

            “Not a baby!” Aurora sobbed.

            “You’re acting like one.” Theo set her down on her feet but Aurora wouldn’t let go of her.

            “Mommy!” She wrapped her arms around Theo’s neck and stuck on like glue.

            “Aurora Hamilton, enough!” Theo snapped and pried her little arms off. “Mom and dad have to go and you are acting horribly.”

            Aurora continued to cry and did her best to keep grabbing onto Theo’s shirt and arms.

            “Rory, C'mon, be good,” Philip said as he got Amelia in her carrier.

            “No!” It was obvious she was running out of steam though. She flopped onto the ground and cried weakly.

            “You’re being a brat, Aurora, I’m not happy with you,” Theo said firmly and finally got the little girl’s shoes on.

            There was a knock and Angie walked in. “Hey, what’s going on?” She had heard the tantrum from down the hall.

            “Someone’s having a hard time with being the oldest,” Philip said and let Angie see Amelia for a moment.

            “We need to go,” Theo said and stood up. She did her best to ignore Aurora who flopped over her feet and clung to her ankles.

            “I’m sure Philip was the same way when I was born,” Angie smirked. “It’s okay, I’ll handle it.”

            “Aurora, we’re leaving, do _not_ give your aunt a hard time.” Theo insisted firmly.

            “Mooooommyyyy.” Aurora drew out a long sob and reached up to be held.

            “Nope, we have to go, I’m not holding you. I would’ve given you a hug if you were being good but you’re not. We’ll see you when we pick you up.” Theo managed to get away from the toddler’s death grip.

            Angie picked Aurora up so Theo and Philip could get out the door. They went down to the car and clipped Amelia’s car seat in.

            Theo sat in the front seat, pretty much in tears. “I’m a horrible mother.” She said when Philip got in the car.

            “No, you’re not.” He rubbed her knee gently.

            “Yes I am, I’m the worst mother.” Theo sniffled.

            “Theodosia…” Philip sighed. “We’re going to have to be strict with her sometimes, that’s what being a parent is about.” He said.

            “She’s going to hate me.”

            “Nope, she’s going to love you.” Philip murmured. “Everything will be okay.”

            Theo wiped her eyes and looked up at him. “Promise?” She asked.

            “Promise.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek.

 

            That night, Aurora had wiped herself out after the massive tantrum and playing at daycare. She went to bed without a fuss and fell asleep the minute she hit the pillow.

            Theo was feeding Amelia before settling her to bed too. “There we go.” She said softly and fixed her top once the newborn was done. She rested her on her shoulder to burp her. “That’s momma’s good girl.” She murmured lovingly.

            Philip came into the nursery with a smile. “Hey, how’s our other girl?”

            “Perfect.” Theo smiled and stood up. “Just about ready for bed.”

            He came up behind her so he could see Amelia. “Hi, monkey.” He smiled and kissed the little girl’s forehead.

            Amelia opened her eyes and smiled slightly at him. Theo smiled and set her in her crib. “Here we are, all nice and warm and ready for bed.”

            The newborn yawned and raised her little fists over her head. Her eyes slowly started to close and she began to fall asleep.

            “And another successful day of parenting,” Philip whispered and kissed Theo’s cheek.

            “Semi-successful.” Theo shook her head and left the nursery. She went to pick up the few toys Aurora had taken out before dinner.

            “She was fine at daycare, I hardly even think she remembers,” Philip said.

            “Mhm.” Theo nodded and closed the little toy chest. “It’s getting so cramped in here.” She sighed.

            “I asked my dad about looking for a bigger place.”

            Theo nodded. “I don’t want to move yet, that would just be another stressor.” She said and looked at him. “But maybe in the future.”

            “Maybe in the future.” He agreed. “Speaking of future, will you marry me?”

            Theo stared at him and wondered if she had misheard him. “Uh…what?”

            He smiled slightly and reached into his back pocket. “Will you marry me?” He opened the ring box showing her the engagement ring he’d bought the day after Amelia was born.

            “Philip…” Theo’s mouth hung open as she tried to process what he had just sprung on her. “You want to marry me?”

            “Well, we’re pretty much married.” He shrugged. “We live together, we have two kids. What’s a little ceremony to seal the deal?”

            “Oh my God…uh, yeah…yes.” Theo nodded eagerly.

            “Yes?” Philip laughed a bit in disbelief.

            “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you.” She went to hug him tightly. “You sort of sprung that on me out of nowhere.”

            “Sorry, I’ve been carrying around this thing ever since Lia was born and I just couldn’t find the right time. I just wanted to ask you.” Philip hugged her back.

            “We’re really doing everything out of order huh?”

            “You mean being parents before we even really liked each other? And then dating, having a kid, then getting married?” Philip chuckled. “Yeah, we are, but I wouldn’t change anything.”


	21. Chapter 21

 

            Aurora pulled the little flower crown off her head for the third time. She tossed it on the ground and sat on the floor to pull off her Mary Jane shoes too.

            “Rory, no, sweetie.” Eliza hurried over to stop her. “You need to keep your shoes on.

            “Nooooo.” Aurora whined as her grandmother stood her back up and placed the crown back on her head.

            “Don’t you want to look nice for the wedding?” Eliza said gently and handed her a doll to occupy her.

            “No.” Aurora said again but took the doll. “I want cake now.”

            It was one of the bribes that her aunt had given her if she behaved through the ceremony. Of course it backfired because the four-year-old kept bringing it up.

            “Theo’s ready.” Angie walked out with one-year-old Amelia who wore a dress that matched her sister’s.

            Eliza smiled. “Okay, you can handle these two? I’ll get everyone started.” She said.

            “Yep, you better go warn Philip. His wife-to-be looks freaking gorgeous.” Angie grinned. “He might fall over.”

            Eliza chuckled. “I’ll be sure to let him know.” She kissed Aurora’s forehead. “Please behave for your aunt and you’ll get extra cake, I promise.”

            Aurora smiled and nodded at the idea of more frosting. She didn’t actually eat the cake part; she only licked the frosting off. It was a good thing Amelia would eat anything you put in front of her. So they could just pass the frostingless cake to the toddler.

            Theo walked out of the bridal suite in the country club. She knew both her father and Mr. Hamilton had to pull a few strings to get the location for the wedding. It was pretty exclusive and much more than the couple actually wanted. But the parents insisted, along with Angie who wanted to help plan a fairytale wedding for her sister-in-law.

            She smiled when she saw her daughters in their lilac dresses and little flower crowns. “Oh, did Auntie Angie make you two look adorable or what?” She cooed and carefully knelt down to peck her eldest daughter’s cheek a few times. She was so happy. She was marrying the love of her life and had her entire family there to see. There was a hint of melancholy though; as she wished more than anything her best friend could be there to be her maid of honor. Theo had cried in Philip’s arms the night before the wedding about Haley and David.

            So Philip decided to leave two extra seats open for Haley and David. He wanted Theo to feel like their souls were watching them and hopefully make her feel better.

 

            “Ready?” Angie smiled and reached over to adjust a few of Theo’s curls.

            Theo nodded. “I am.” She said gently and took Aurora’s hand. “You’re going to walk with Auntie Angie, right?” She asked as they walked towards the ballroom where the ceremony was taking place.

            Her daughter nodded. “And then cake!”

            “That’s my girl.” Theo smiled. She looked up and saw her father waiting by the doors.

            Aaron looked over and beamed. “You looked beautiful, honey.” He said gently and hugged her gently.

            “Thanks dad.” Theo swallowed and felt the feeling of sentiment rise up in her throat. It had been there all day, as she got ready. But now it was getting more intense.

            “Grandpa, I’m gonna get cake!” Aurora exclaimed and reached up to Aaron.

            “Is that so?” Aaron picked her up for a moment. “Well, save some for me too.”

            “No, I’m gonna eat it all!”    

            Aaron chuckled and shook his head. “We’ll see after the first slice.” He bargained. “Go with your aunt now, you have to be the best flower girl for mom.” He set her down and she ran over to Angie.

            “Remember what you’re going to do?” Angie handed her a little basket with rose petals.

            Aurora reached in and tossed a fistful of petals into the air like she’d been practicing with little paper pieces.

            “Good girl.” Angie smiled and rested Amelia on her hip. “You, Lia, just need to look adorable.”

            Amelia squealed and stuck her fingers in her mouth.

            “Perfect.” Angie chuckled and gave Theo a smile. “You look amazing, don’t be nervous.” She said again before going to walk down the aisle with the girls.

            Aaron held his arm out to his daughter. “She’s right, you don’t need to be nervous. You and Philip are a great couple and that’s saying something coming from me.”

            “Because you’re Mr. Protective?” Theo teased as she linked arms with him.

            “Exactly.” Aaron smiled. “And I usually have a good sense about these things. I mean, I married your mom right away because I knew she was the one.”

            Theo hoped he was right as the doors opened and the march started to play. She walked close to her father as they entered the ballroom. She looked up and saw Philip at the altar. She felt tears in her eyes almost immediately.

            He was standing with Amelia in his arms and Aurora clinging to his leg. He had a broad smile on his face and he looked like he was about to cry too.

            Aaron kissed her cheek before letting go of her arm before the altar.

            Theo walked up and scooped Aurora into her arms. She stood in front of Philip and smiled shakily. She felt so much emotion in her it was hard to keep it inside.

            “You look gorgeous.” Philip whispered. “I mean…wow.” He said.

            “Lost for words?” She teased slightly.

            “Very much so.” They shared a small laugh before listening to the minister.

 

            After Aurora had her fill of cake, she decided she wanted to dance with Philip like the rest of the wedding party was.

            So Theo got a break with Amelia. She sat down near the dance floor to watch her husband and daughter.

            Philip held Aurora’s hands and had her standing on his shoes as he slowly swayed and spun her around. Aurora loved it and couldn’t stop giggling.

            Theo smiled warmly and hoped someone was taking a million pictures of the moment. She wanted every single moment to be saved so she could always repeat the memory.

            Philip caught her sight and nodded for her to come over. She smiled and stood up with Amelia.

            “May I have this dance?” Theo asked.

            Aurora grinned. She was still riding the sugar high and wouldn’t crash for another half an hour before her nap.

            Theo took one of Philip’s hands and let Aurora hold onto the skirt of her dress. They danced around in the little circle of their family. Amelia screeched happily as they bounced her around.

            Philip looked at his happy daughters and then to his beautiful wife. He felt so bless to finally have her as his own for the rest of his life. Now they would raise their daughters officially as husband and wife. He knew it was one of the happiest days of his life. And he also knew there would be plenty more happy days.


	22. Chapter 22

                        Theo was cooking dinner one night when her eldest daughter walked in.

            “Mom, who are these people?” Aurora held up a picture.

            She glanced over from the stove. “Oh uh…” She froze when she saw a picture of David and Haley’s wedding. Theo and Philip were in the picture too.

            “You and dad are at the wedding too. Are they your friends?”

            “Maybe we can talk about this after dinner?” Theo offered.

            Her nine-year-old looked a little confused. “Okay…”

            Philip came home from work and Amelia, who had just started first grade, dashed into his arms.

            “Daddy!”

            “Hey princess.” He picked her up and walked into the house. “What did you do at school today?” He asked.

            “We started reading a book about a bear,” Amelia replied and clung to him tightly.

            “A bear? Well, let me know how it ends. Do you want to read another book tonight before bed?” It wasn’t even a question. Amelia was a bookworm just like her grandfather.

            “Yes please!”

            Theo smiled when she saw her husband. “Dinner’s ready.” She said and kissed his cheek. “Did you have a good day at work?”

            “Yeah, not too busy. How about you?” Philip set Amelia down so she could go sit at the table.

            Theo shrugged. “Pretty typical.” She glanced over at her daughters who were chatting away about some TV show. She picked up the picture that Aurora had left on the counter. “Rory asked about David and Haley.” She said in a hushed voice.

            Philip winced. He knew the day would come but he was hoping it would be a lot later in Aurora’s life. “Should we tell her?” He asked.

            “I don’t know…I’m not sure when the right time is.” She sighed and felt her stomach sink. She wanted to shield her daughter from everything but she knew she couldn’t. She didn’t want to wait until Aurora found out about her biological parents from someone else. “I think we need to tell her now. We don’t want something to happen and she finds out the wrong way.”

            “That sounds like a smart idea.” Philip agreed. “We’ll talk to her after dinner, once Amelia’s asleep.”

 

            Once Amelia stopped asking for more stories from Philip, they sat down with Aurora in the living room.

            “Am I in trouble?” Aurora looked anxiously at her parents.

            “No sweetheart, of course not.” Theo sat down next to her daughter and set a hand on her knee. Aurora was a mischievous child growing up but she became very involved in sports and had great grades in school as well. Her grandparents were always keen on getting her educational toys and other gifts to keep her interested in academics. Her aunt and uncles made sure she tried all the sports she was interested in, at least the ones that Theo deemed were safe enough.

            Philip sat down on the coffee table across from his daughter. He brought out the little photo album they kept of their friends’ pictures. “We wanted to talk about the picture you found.” He said gently.

            “Okay…”

            “The people in the picture were actually your parents,” Theo said softly. She didn’t know how else to say it. She didn’t want to beat around the bush.

            Aurora raised an eyebrow at them. “But _you’re_ my parents.” She said.

            “Right…well, these are your biological parents,” Philip said and handed her the album.

            “Your biological parents died in a car crash when you were very young. We wanted to tell you before you found out somewhere else.” Theo wrapped an arm around her.

            Aurora went silent as she opened the album. Inside there was a picture of her as a newborn with Haley.

            “That was when you were born.” Philip leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

            “So…I’m not your real daughter?” Aurora’s voice was quiet as she flipped through the pictures.

            “No, of course, you’re our real daughter.” Theo soothed. “We raised you from when you were just a year old.” She explained. “We’ve always considered you our daughter.”

            “What about Amelia?” She asked. “Is she from another family?”

            “No, we had Amelia when you were three,” Theo answered. “But that doesn’t mean you’re different. We treat you both the same because you’re both our daughters.”

            “And you always will be our daughter. We wanted to be honest with you.” Philip added.

            Aurora didn’t say anything. She stopped looking through the album and shut it. She clutched it to her chest and looked up at her parents with tears in her eyes. Without a word, she stood up and went to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

            Theo’s chest tightened and she felt tears in her eyes too. She felt like they had done something wrong. But in reality, she realized there wasn’t any way to tell her the truth without causing her some grief. She never got to meet her biological parents and that wasn’t something that could be taken lightly.

            Philip stood up and kissed Theo’s forehead. “I’ll talk to her. You should get to bed, you’ve had a long day.” He murmured.

            She nodded and rose. “If she needs some space, let her have it.” She reminded him.

            “I will.” Philip walked down the hall and knocked on Aurora’s door. “Rory, can I come in?”

            After a moment, the door opened. Aurora let him in.

            “Hey, kiddo, can we talk? Just you and I?”

            She sat down on the bed and nodded silently. She still held the photo album in her hands. She had it opened to one of Haley and David’s wedding pictures. “What were their names?” She asked.

            Philip sat down next to her. “David and Haley Kane.” He answered. “They were our best friends.” He explained.

            “Kane…that’s Amelia’s middle name.”

            He nodded. “We wanted to make sure we could keep their memory alive.” He explained. “I know it’s hard for you, Rory, and I wish I could make it easier. I wish we never lost them but I’m also glad I got to raise you.”

            Aurora leaned into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad you and mom raised me too.” She said quietly. “I just wish I could’ve met them.”

            “I know, princess.” Philip sighed gently. “They loved you very much though. They wanted the best for you and I’m just proud I get to see you grow up.”

            She sniffled and set the album down on her nightstand. “I love you, dad.”

            “I love you too.” He replied and kissed her hair. “And you and Amelia are both my daughters. There is no difference and I don’t want you to feel like you’re lesser.” He said firmly. “You’ll always be my daughter.”

            Aurora smiled weakly. “I know.” She nodded. “I know.”


End file.
